AMES - Iowa State is staring down a West Virginia offense that doesn’t just move fast. In Jimmy Rogers’ words, it comes at you at “Mach speed.”
That’s the challenge waiting Saturday at 11 a.m. at Jack Trice Stadium, where the Cyclones (2-2, 0-1) will try to slow a Mountaineers attack that has plenty of ways to hit in a hurry. Rogers called West Virginia quarterback Michael Hawkins “probably one of the fastest players in the country,” but the quarterback is only part of the problem.
West Virginia (3-1, 0-1) pairs Hawkins with a tempo-driven offense and one of the Big 12’s most productive backs in Cam Cook. Cook is averaging 127.5 rushing yards per game and is one of only five players nationally with multiple 70-plus yard runs this season. Hawkins, meanwhile, is tied for second nationally in rushing touchdowns with nine.
“They go really fast,” Rogers said. “So everybody needs to be able to get their feet in the ground, get a line, get their eyes right, know the call and then execute the plan, because they’re not gonna give you a whole lot of time to process with how fast that they’re on the football.”
Iowa State’s defense has still held up well overall, ranking fifth in the Big 12 in yards allowed per game at 272.5, even after giving up 411 yards in last week’s 31-17 home loss to No. 13 Utah. Rogers said matching West Virginia’s pace is one thing; handling it without losing discipline is another.
“We’ve got to be able to communicate just as fast as they’re communicating to run their play,” Rogers said. “Is it harder?
I don’t know if it’s harder as much as it is just like another thing that you have to be good at, and you have to play with a great pad level, still, and you can’t let your eyes wander, and when you’re playing against great athletes, you’ve got to be able to make plays. So this is what we have this weekend.”
The Cyclones are also trying to clean up a tackling issue that showed up in a big way against Utah. Rogers said Iowa State had 29 missed tackles in that game, and he and defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit have spent the week working to sharpen the basics.
“Some of those are not finishing, some of those are over pursuing, and some of those - less of them this week, were a drop of the head,” Rogers said. “It was just not wrapping up and getting a really good running back to the ground.
Some of those were the angles coming in pursuit and honestly some of those are just overthinking what their overall job is and just executing. Just do your job and put your eyes where they need to be, and, yeah, we’re cleaning those things up this week.”
The matchup has the feel of one that could come down to small details, especially with oddsmakers expecting a close game. West Virginia opened as a slight favorite before the line flipped to Iowa State by 3.5 points as of Tuesday afternoon.
Veteran defensive tackle Max Baloun, who has played for Rogers at South Dakota State, Washington State, and now Iowa State, said the Cyclones are ready for the test.
“We’re excited for the opportunity, excited for the challenge,” Baloun said. “It’s gonna be a good matchup.
We want to stop the run. They want to run it.
I mean, that’s two giants going at each other. So it’ll be it’ll be a fun matchup.”
It also comes on Homecoming weekend, with Rogers making a point to praise the 52,000-plus fans who helped push Iowa State back into last week’s game after it trailed Utah 24-3 at halftime and made it a one-score contest in the fourth quarter. Rogers said that kind of support matters even more when the opponent is moving at a pace like West Virginia.
“Although you might want to rip your hair out with this football team sometimes, we can be bald together,” Rogers said. “You’ve still gotta show up and stick with us and work through the hard times because I can promise you it will only get better and better the more we learn and grow as a football team.”
In Other News...
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Lipseys return does more than keep an experienced guard on the floor. It reshapes the roles around him, from who handles the ball to how much pressure the new faces will have to absorb right away. For Iowa State, the bigger question is no longer whether he fits into the rotation, but how his presence redirects the entire opening-night lineup and which players emerge in the spots still up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]
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The run game, run defense and special teams have all given Iowa State reasons to feel good about where it is headed. Aiden Flora, Cameron Pettaway, Arnold Barnes III and Kyle Konrardy have each shown up in ways that reinforce that broader picture, giving the Cyclones useful pieces on both sides of the ball and on the kicking game. For a team still trying to sort out its early-season ceiling, those are the kinds of building blocks that can keep the season pointed in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Faces An Early Test That Could Define Bowl Hopes
Iowa State is settling into a busy week at the MidAmerican Energy Complex with a little football, a little pageantry and a little pressure. The Cyclones are set to host West Virginia while also rolling through homecoming week, giving students and alumni plenty to circle on the calendar as the program tries to keep its focus on the field. Between the game plan and the surrounding events, there is no shortage of attention on the team as it works through an early part of the schedule that already feels significant.
The matchup comes with an added layer of context thanks to ESPNs FPI, which has refreshed the outlook on Iowa States path through a challenging slate and the implications for its bowl chances. Before the weekend arrives, the Cyclones will also hold a media day with head coach Jimmy Rogers and offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl speaking to reporters, another chance to gauge where the team stands and how it is approaching the test ahead. [Read more 🡒]