West Virginia’s trip into Big 12 play hasn’t exactly started with a soft landing. After a tough loss to Oklahoma State, the Mountaineers now turn around and get Iowa State, a team that has given WVU plenty of problems over the years. It’s a quick reset, and it comes with a lot on the line for Rich Rodriguez 2.0 in year two.
A win Saturday at noon would push West Virginia to 4-1, matching its total from year one. It would also give the Mountaineers their first conference win of the season, put them in a strong spot for bowl eligibility, and likely put them in the conversation for AP votes depending on how cleanly they handle business.
The first thing to watch is how both teams respond after opening Big XII play with losses. WVU fell 41-24 to Oklahoma State, while Iowa State dropped a 31-17 game to ranked Utah.
Neither result means the season is slipping away, but an 0-2 start in league play would make the path to Arlington, Texas a lot tougher. Both teams had chances last week.
West Virginia wasted theirs against the Cowboys, and Iowa State dug itself too deep after squandering opportunities in the first half.
That makes this week feel like a response game for both sides.
For West Virginia, the defense is the big question. Last week’s second half was rough in every sense.
The Mountaineers couldn’t get pressure, couldn’t make contact, tackled poorly, and struggled in coverage. That kind of performance tells you everything you need to know about what not to do on that side of the ball.
This week should reveal a lot about the unit’s makeup. Do they come out angry and take it out on Iowa State, or do the same problems show up again?
If it’s the former, at least there’s some evidence the group won’t fold. If it’s the latter, the concern gets a lot bigger.
The good news for WVU is that it’s not staring down the Oklahoma State offense again. Iowa State’s offense has had its own issues.
Through week five, the Cyclones have thrown for 659 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 722 yards and eight touchdowns. For comparison, Cam Cook himself has 510 yards and three touchdowns.
That’s where the Cyclones have been offensively: trying to find enough production to stay afloat.
So this game becomes a chance for one of these struggling units to seize the day and give its team some confidence. West Virginia’s defense wants to show it can bounce back. Iowa State’s offense needs to prove it can do more than just get by.
That leads to the quarterback matchup, and both teams need more through the air.
Michael Hawkins Jr. has been a dynamic piece for West Virginia to open the year, especially with his legs. He’s been a steady threat on the ground alongside Cam Cook, and he has flashed enough as a passer to create explosive plays.
But last week, when the Mountaineers needed him to make throws, it wasn’t there. His first interception of the season came late in the first half, and things stayed messy after that.
Once his passing game stalled, Oklahoma State was able to focus on limiting him as a runner, and the offense lost its edge.
Hawkins doesn’t need to turn every snap into a deep shot. He just needs to keep taking what’s there. If he can hit the easy throws consistently, defenses will have to respect the receivers more, and that should open things back up for him on the ground.
Iowa State’s Jaylen Raynor has some of that same dual-threat ability, just not to the same level. The problem has been consistency.
He’s completed only 54% of his passes this season and has thrown three interceptions, including two last week against Utah, which helped put the Cyclones in an early hole. Raynor has already shown at Arkansas State that he can play at a high level.
It just hasn’t fully come together in Ames.
That’s the common thread in this game: somebody has to make plays through the air. The quarterback who can do that more consistently will give his team the better chance to control the afternoon.
In Other News...
WVU Faces A Road Test That Could Expose One Costly Weakness
ESPNs SP+ model has West Virginia heading into a tricky true road test at Jack Trice Stadium, and the matchup carries extra weight because the projection system has already been wrong on the Mountaineers a few times lately. That alone does not decide anything on its own, but it does add another layer to a game that already looks uncomfortable for a team trying to prove it can travel well in Big 12 play.
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 🡒]