Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Mountaineers Trailing at Halftime, 20-14
October 13, 2018 08:58 PM | Football
AMES, Iowa – Brock Purdy has thrown two touchdown passes and David Montgomery has rushed 12 times for 94 yards and one touchdown in leading Iowa State to a 20-14 halftime lead over sixth-ranked West Virginia.
Will Grier threw an 18-yard first quarter touchdown pass to David Sills V, but the Cyclones' secondary has clamped down on Mountaineer receivers and forced Grier into making uncomfortable decisions in the pocket.
He's been sacked five times and has had to tuck the ball and run it more often than he has wanted to because WVU's receivers have struggled to get open. Even when Grier has had time in the pocket to throw it, WVU's receivers have been unable to make catches.
West Virginia began the game running the football but got away from that once the Cyclones got ahead 20-7 – the first time the Mountaineers have trailed this season.
A Dravon Askew-Henry interception of Brock Purdy gave West Virginia a short field to set up the Mountaineers' lone offensive touchdown of the first half.
The second score came with 2:58 left in the second quarter when Connor Assalley's 39-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Kenny Bigelow and Derrek Pitts Jr. picked up the football and returned it 72 yards for a touchdown.
It was West Virginia's first blocked field goal for a touchdown since Harold Kidd did it at Pitt on Oct. 15, 1994 when he returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.
Assalley also missed a PAT after Montgomery's first-quarter touchdown run.
Grier has completed 8 of his 10 pass attempts for 77 yards, but the run game has accounted for just 35 yards on 17 attempts.
Iowa State has had much more success on the ground, the Cyclones gaining 135 yards on 22 attempts with Montgomery getting most of that. Purdy is 10 of 14 for 115 yards.
Iowa State will get the football to begin the second half.
> LISTEN HERE
Will Grier threw an 18-yard first quarter touchdown pass to David Sills V, but the Cyclones' secondary has clamped down on Mountaineer receivers and forced Grier into making uncomfortable decisions in the pocket.
He's been sacked five times and has had to tuck the ball and run it more often than he has wanted to because WVU's receivers have struggled to get open. Even when Grier has had time in the pocket to throw it, WVU's receivers have been unable to make catches.
West Virginia began the game running the football but got away from that once the Cyclones got ahead 20-7 – the first time the Mountaineers have trailed this season.
A Dravon Askew-Henry interception of Brock Purdy gave West Virginia a short field to set up the Mountaineers' lone offensive touchdown of the first half.
The second score came with 2:58 left in the second quarter when Connor Assalley's 39-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Kenny Bigelow and Derrek Pitts Jr. picked up the football and returned it 72 yards for a touchdown.
It was West Virginia's first blocked field goal for a touchdown since Harold Kidd did it at Pitt on Oct. 15, 1994 when he returned it 60 yards for a touchdown.
Assalley also missed a PAT after Montgomery's first-quarter touchdown run.
Grier has completed 8 of his 10 pass attempts for 77 yards, but the run game has accounted for just 35 yards on 17 attempts.
Iowa State has had much more success on the ground, the Cyclones gaining 135 yards on 22 attempts with Montgomery getting most of that. Purdy is 10 of 14 for 115 yards.
Iowa State will get the football to begin the second half.
> LISTEN HERE
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