West Virginia’s loss to Oklahoma State sparked plenty of panic, but Phil Steele isn’t ready to jump off the Mountaineers yet.
Steele said on his weekly in-season appearance on the In the Gun Podcast that the result in Stillwater says as much about Oklahoma State as it does about West Virginia. He pointed to the Cowboys’ offensive output against Oregon as evidence that this is the kind of attack that can overwhelm a lot of teams.
“Oklahoma State played Oregon, which is one of the best teams in the country, and they had a 25-12 first down edge in that game and put up 554 yards. They ran for 5.9 yards per carry, threw for 317 yards against the Oregon Ducks, who are a top-10 team.
I think you’re going to see this Oklahoma State offense do that against a lot of teams. I think it’s just one where the key plays went against West Virginia in that game.
I’m still very optimistic on West Virginia this year. If they beat Iowa State this week, things start looking a lot better.
Then you get Arizona and Cincinnati at home, a couple of winnable games. I think it’s still going to be a very strong year for West Virginia.
I’m not giving up hope. They did disappoint me last week, but I’m not going to give up hope on West Virginia this year.
I still think they are one of the surprise teams in the Big 12.”
The Mountaineers’ defense was put in a tough spot last week, and defensive coordinator Zac Alley spent much of the game in a 3-2-6 dime look, a setup West Virginia had not used all season. The idea was to slow down Oklahoma State’s passing game, but even after the Cowboys kept finding success, Alley stayed with it and the Mountaineers got picked apart.
The matchup changes this week. Iowa State brings a more physical style, one built around running the ball and chewing clock rather than piling up explosive plays. That gives West Virginia a chance to settle in and show a cleaner version of itself.
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WVU Faces A Road Test That Could Expose One Costly Weakness
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The concern for West Virginia is less about one flashy matchup and more about whether its ground game and special teams can hold up in a hostile setting against Iowa State. When those parts of the game wobble, road assignments tend to get messy fast, and this one has the feel of a test that could reveal whether the Mountaineers have a fixable issue or a more stubborn weakness. [Read more 🡒]
Phil Steele Still Believes West Virginia Can Rebound Against Iowa State
West Virginias rough defensive showing against Oklahoma State left plenty of questions, but Phil Steele isnt ready to write off the Mountaineers just yet. He pointed to the matchup with Iowa State as a chance for West Virginia to steady itself, saying he still sees the Mountaineers as the better team heading into the weekend.
Even with West Virginia listed as an underdog, Steele expects the Mountaineers to be in position to either win outright or at least cover the spread. He also weighed in on a slate of other college football games set for the weekend, but his West Virginia takeaway was the one that stood out: a rebound still looks possible. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Faces A Familiar Road Test With Its Slide Suddenly In Focus
West Virginia heads to Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday for a noon kickoff against Iowa State, with the matchup set to air on TNT, truTV and HBO Max. It is the kind of road test that can sharpen the picture for both teams, since they enter at 6-6 and the Cyclones are a short 3.5-point favorite, a sign that neither side has much margin for error.
For the Mountaineers, the trip carries the feel of a familiar proving ground, the sort of place where recent frustrations can either keep snowballing or be interrupted in a hurry. The numbers and personnel notes leading into this one point to a game with plenty of details to sort through, but the bigger question remains whether WVU can stabilize its slide in an environment that rarely makes that easy. [Read more 🡒]