Photo by: Caleb Saunders
Countdown to Kickoff – Iowa State
December 05, 2020 09:47 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – If you are looking for some similar teams to compare to Iowa State, it's probably best to just stick to Ames, Iowa, because the Cyclones are really unlike anyone else out there in college football these days.
Defensively, Texas Tech is a three-down-front defense that does a lot of drop-eight, but Iowa State is a much bigger football team with their second level and obviously plays defense much better than the Red Raiders.
Texas uses some two-tight-end formations, but the Longhorns don't motion and shift the way Iowa State does. The Cyclones sort of have their own way of doing things.
"I think they've intentionally tried to do this. It's a selling point," West Virginia coach Neal Brown said earlier this week.
Defensively, Brown said the guy to keep an eye on is No. 23, junior linebacker Mike Rose who leads Iowa State in tackles with 76 and in interceptions with four.
"If they were to line up and I was to draw them up, Mike Rose, they list him as a sam linebacker, but he really plays sort of a nickel position," Brown explained. "Well, he's 6-3, 245 - a big dude. Most nickels are corner-type kids that are 5-10 to 6-foot, 180 to 200.
"So they are bigger there," he continued. "They play three safeties all the time and that gives them an opportunity to get to a bunch of different looks. There have been a lot of teams that have tried to mirror what they do defensively, but the only one in my opinion to do it effectively was Baylor a year ago."
Offensively, you just don't see teams with three tight ends running around out there at the same time. Earlier this week, West Virginia defensive line coach Jordan Lesley said Iowa State is using some three tight-end formations that don't even have names yet.
There are also many instances where tight ends are replacing slot receivers in certain passing situations. It's like the Land of the Giants.
"When you draw them up offensively you have your O-line with a center, two guards outside of him and two tackles outside of them," Brown noted. "The gap between the center and the guard is the A-gap. The gap between the guard and the tackle is the B-gap and if you have a tight end next to the tackle that makes a C-gap.
"You have to defend all of these gaps, and (Iowa State) always (has) a C-gap and sometimes they put another tight end in there so there could be a D-gap and maybe even an E-gap. And you don't defend that very often, so they've got a great edge."
Such an edge in both phases, in fact, that Brown admitted his staff spent some extra time this summer working through some of the unique issues the Cyclones present.
"We've spent a good amount of time in the summer my two years here on Iowa State, just because they are so different," he said.
West Virginia is different, too, in its constantly shifting defensive fronts Brown's teams have been using since his days at Troy. The Mountaineers' punt schemes are also unusual and the weekly tweaking Brown has been doing offensively and some of the eye candy his constant motioning does presents issues for opposing defenses.
The bottom line, you will be watching some innovative football in all three phases later today. The difference is Matt Campbell has had more time to do some of these things with his guys.
"We are not as far along in any of our pieces as Iowa State because they've been there five years," Brown said. "We're a work in progress, and we're trying to differentiate ourselves from others. Unless you are just better than everyone else in all phases, you have to be a little bit different."
Today's game is Senior Day for Iowa State's 17 seniors and it kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN (Dave Pasch, Mike Golic and Paul Carcaterra).
Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College radio coverage begins at noon on affiliates throughout West Virginia and online via WVUsports.com and the popular mobile app WVU Gameday leading into regular network coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning at 2:30 p.m.
It will be the ninth meeting between the two schools with West Virginia owning a 5-3 advantage in series play. The Cyclones have won the last two, including last year's 38-14 win in Morgantown when starting quarterback Austin Kendall was knocked out of the game in the first quarter.
Here is today's Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – The Mountaineer defense has produced at least one player with TEN or more tackles 15 of its last 25 games. Senior linebacker Tony Fields II has five of them so far this season.
9 – Today's game will be the NINTH all-time meeting between West Virginia and Iowa State with the Mountaineers holding a 5-3 advantage. Iowa State has won the last two, however.
8 – Mountaineer running back Leddie Brown ranks EIGHTH in the country this week with 897 rushing yards. Iowa State's Breece Hall (1,260) is No. 2 behind UTSA's Sincere McCormick with 1,345 yards.
7 – The WVU defense has only allowed SEVEN quarterbacks to pass for more than 300 yards since 2017. Baylor's Charlie Brewer has the most passing yards against WVU's defense this year with 229 back on Oct. 3.
6 – The Mountaineers have failed to generate at least 10 passing first downs in SIX of their last 32 games. West Virginia is on a streak of eight consecutive games with at least 10 passing first downs.
5 – In its FIVE victories this year, West Virginia is averaging 210.6 yards per game rushing. In its three losses, WVU is averaging just 67.3 yards per game on the ground.
4 – WVU quarterback Jarret Doege has FOUR 300-yard passing performances this season, including a career-high 347 yards in a road loss at Texas Tech earlier this year.
3 – West Virginia is outscoring its opponents 57-20 in the THIRD quarter of its games this year.
2 –Iowa State coach Matt Campbell has won the last TWO meetings against West Virginia by double-digit margins and is 2-1 against the Mountaineers.
1 – West Virginia has the No. ONE-ranked pass defense in the country allowing just 161.5 yards per game.
Enjoy the game and be sure to stop back afterward for complete postgame coverage.
Defensively, Texas Tech is a three-down-front defense that does a lot of drop-eight, but Iowa State is a much bigger football team with their second level and obviously plays defense much better than the Red Raiders.
Texas uses some two-tight-end formations, but the Longhorns don't motion and shift the way Iowa State does. The Cyclones sort of have their own way of doing things.
"I think they've intentionally tried to do this. It's a selling point," West Virginia coach Neal Brown said earlier this week.
Defensively, Brown said the guy to keep an eye on is No. 23, junior linebacker Mike Rose who leads Iowa State in tackles with 76 and in interceptions with four.
"If they were to line up and I was to draw them up, Mike Rose, they list him as a sam linebacker, but he really plays sort of a nickel position," Brown explained. "Well, he's 6-3, 245 - a big dude. Most nickels are corner-type kids that are 5-10 to 6-foot, 180 to 200.
"So they are bigger there," he continued. "They play three safeties all the time and that gives them an opportunity to get to a bunch of different looks. There have been a lot of teams that have tried to mirror what they do defensively, but the only one in my opinion to do it effectively was Baylor a year ago."
Offensively, you just don't see teams with three tight ends running around out there at the same time. Earlier this week, West Virginia defensive line coach Jordan Lesley said Iowa State is using some three tight-end formations that don't even have names yet.
There are also many instances where tight ends are replacing slot receivers in certain passing situations. It's like the Land of the Giants.
"When you draw them up offensively you have your O-line with a center, two guards outside of him and two tackles outside of them," Brown noted. "The gap between the center and the guard is the A-gap. The gap between the guard and the tackle is the B-gap and if you have a tight end next to the tackle that makes a C-gap.
"You have to defend all of these gaps, and (Iowa State) always (has) a C-gap and sometimes they put another tight end in there so there could be a D-gap and maybe even an E-gap. And you don't defend that very often, so they've got a great edge."
Such an edge in both phases, in fact, that Brown admitted his staff spent some extra time this summer working through some of the unique issues the Cyclones present.
"We've spent a good amount of time in the summer my two years here on Iowa State, just because they are so different," he said.
West Virginia is different, too, in its constantly shifting defensive fronts Brown's teams have been using since his days at Troy. The Mountaineers' punt schemes are also unusual and the weekly tweaking Brown has been doing offensively and some of the eye candy his constant motioning does presents issues for opposing defenses.
The bottom line, you will be watching some innovative football in all three phases later today. The difference is Matt Campbell has had more time to do some of these things with his guys.
"We are not as far along in any of our pieces as Iowa State because they've been there five years," Brown said. "We're a work in progress, and we're trying to differentiate ourselves from others. Unless you are just better than everyone else in all phases, you have to be a little bit different."
Today's game is Senior Day for Iowa State's 17 seniors and it kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN (Dave Pasch, Mike Golic and Paul Carcaterra).
Mountaineer Sports Network from Learfield IMG College radio coverage begins at noon on affiliates throughout West Virginia and online via WVUsports.com and the popular mobile app WVU Gameday leading into regular network coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning at 2:30 p.m.
It will be the ninth meeting between the two schools with West Virginia owning a 5-3 advantage in series play. The Cyclones have won the last two, including last year's 38-14 win in Morgantown when starting quarterback Austin Kendall was knocked out of the game in the first quarter.
Here is today's Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – The Mountaineer defense has produced at least one player with TEN or more tackles 15 of its last 25 games. Senior linebacker Tony Fields II has five of them so far this season.
9 – Today's game will be the NINTH all-time meeting between West Virginia and Iowa State with the Mountaineers holding a 5-3 advantage. Iowa State has won the last two, however.
8 – Mountaineer running back Leddie Brown ranks EIGHTH in the country this week with 897 rushing yards. Iowa State's Breece Hall (1,260) is No. 2 behind UTSA's Sincere McCormick with 1,345 yards.
7 – The WVU defense has only allowed SEVEN quarterbacks to pass for more than 300 yards since 2017. Baylor's Charlie Brewer has the most passing yards against WVU's defense this year with 229 back on Oct. 3.
6 – The Mountaineers have failed to generate at least 10 passing first downs in SIX of their last 32 games. West Virginia is on a streak of eight consecutive games with at least 10 passing first downs.
5 – In its FIVE victories this year, West Virginia is averaging 210.6 yards per game rushing. In its three losses, WVU is averaging just 67.3 yards per game on the ground.
4 – WVU quarterback Jarret Doege has FOUR 300-yard passing performances this season, including a career-high 347 yards in a road loss at Texas Tech earlier this year.
3 – West Virginia is outscoring its opponents 57-20 in the THIRD quarter of its games this year.
2 –Iowa State coach Matt Campbell has won the last TWO meetings against West Virginia by double-digit margins and is 2-1 against the Mountaineers.
1 – West Virginia has the No. ONE-ranked pass defense in the country allowing just 161.5 yards per game.
Enjoy the game and be sure to stop back afterward for complete postgame coverage.
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