MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - You knew weird things were bound to happen this afternoon with a lame-duck coach on the other side of the field finishing out his tenure.

 

It did get a little weird in the second quarter, but not bizarre enough to keep favored West Virginia from defeating Iowa State, 30-6, at misty Milan Puskar Stadium today.

 

“Glad that’s over,” is how West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen began his postgame news conference. “Getting the win was huge and proud of my team for the way they played today."

 

Paul Rhoads, who received his pink slip following last Saturday’s 38-35 loss to Kansas State, didn’t have anything to lose this afternoon, so he tried fake punts like they were going out of style – twice on the same drive in the second quarter and once from his own 15-yard line in the fourth quarter.

 

The two he attempted in the second quarter were successful against West Virginia’s punt return team, leading to Cole Netten’s 49-yard field goal at the end of the half, but the third fake he called with his backup quarterback Sam Richardson lined up at punter against West Virginia’s No. 1 defense fell incomplete, giving WVU a short field to score its third touchdown of the game.

 

The outcome this afternoon remained in doubt until midway through the third quarter, after the Mountaineers stopped Iowa State on downs at the 49 on its opening possession of the second half. Three possessions later, WVU was able to turn the field position battle into points when Josh Lambert connected on a 34-yard field goal, making the score 16-6.

 

Lambert also successfully kicked two field goals in the second quarter, the first from 40 yards and the other coming from 30 yards ahead of Netten’s 49-yarder at the end of the half.

 

 

The Mountaineers expanded their lead to 23-6 with 3:38 left in the third quarter when Howard ran 32 yards to paydirt. The play culminated a seven-play, 83-yard scoring drive that all came on the ground – 54 from Howard, 35 from Wendell Smallwood, and eight from Rushel Shell - when the Mountaineers were moving at a much faster tempo.

 

“I think it’s no secret that we function better offensively when we push that tempo,” Holgorsen noted. “There were other times this year when I wanted the clock to run so we could get the victory.”

 

WVU got its gift score with 10:22 remaining in the game when Rhoads’ third fake punt attempt was unsuccessful, giving the Mountaineers the ball at the ISU 15. Two plays later, Shell bounced in from the nine, his touchdown confirmed by the replay official upstairs.

 

West Virginia’s opening score happened on the Mountaineers’ second possession of the game when Shelton Gibson caught a simple pass out in the flat, eluded one tackler and cut back across the field to outrun the rest of the Iowa State defense for a 60-yard touchdown – his team-leading eighth through the air this season.

 

Gibson was the top offensive player this afternoon with six catches for 148 yards, the 60-yarder for a score and another 53-yarder in the second half moving WVU into position for a Lambert field goal. There were a number of other passes Gibson couldn't hold on to this afternoon that would have comfortably put him over 200 yards receiving for the game.

 

“We took some shots and it was good to see Shelton makes some plays because he has been absent for about a month,” Holgorsen said. “We have got to be better throwing the football and right now we are not, and all I can do is watch the video and go back and study it and see what we can do (to improve it).”

 

Consequently, Howard completed just 12 of his 26 pass attempts for 202 yards and a touchdown, while WVU’s ground attack that ran the ball so successfully in victories against Texas Tech, Texas and Kansas, managed a more ordinary 213 yards on 45 attempts today.

 

Howard was also the team’s leading rusher for the second straight week with 73 yards on 13 rushes.

 

Smallwood had 15 carries for 71 yards while Shell added 41 yards on 10 attempts.

 

WVU outgained Iowa State 415-284, and a WVU defense coming off a shutout performance last Saturday at Kansas, was once again exceptional producing three turnovers and five sacks. The Cyclones averaged just 3.5 yards on 80 offensive plays.

 

“Those guys were everything we thought they would be, and a lot of credit goes to Paul Rhoads, who is an excellent coach,” Holgorsen said.

 

After the final seconds ticked off the game clock and West Virginia players sang “Take Me Home, Country Roads” to the announced 42,446 still remaining in the stadium, Iowa State players stood in a line at the 50-yard line and each hugged Rhoads before he exited the stadium.

 

It was the final home game for West Virginia’s 20-player senior class.

 

Today’s victory makes West Virginia’s bowl resume more appealing with a 7-4 record heading into next Saturday’s regular season finale at Kansas State. The 4-6 Wildcats need victories over Kansas today and West Virginia next week to become bowl eligible.

 

Iowa State concludes its season with a 3-9 record.