Saturday, October 12
Morgantown, WV
8:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
vs
Iowa State
Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
United Bank Playbook – Iowa State Preview
October 09, 2024 11:38 AM | Football
| Tale of the Tape |  |
 |
|---|---|---|
| Points Per Game | 31.2 | 33.0 |
| Points Against | 10.0 | 25.6 |
| Rushing Yards Per Game | 183.4 | 223.0 |
| Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game | 138.0 | 130.2 |
| Passing Yards Per Game | 244.4 | 216.6 |
| Passing Yards Allowed Per Game | 133.6 | 243.4 |
| Total Yards Per Game | 427.8 | 439.6 |
| Total Yards Allowed Per Game | 271.6 | 373.6 |
| First Downs For | 102 | 126 |
| First Downs Against | 80 | 102 |
| Fumbles/Lost | 2/0 | 8/3 |
| Interceptions/Return Yards | 8/73 | 3/22 |
| Net Punting | 35.8 | 39.5 |
| Field Goal/Attempts | 8/10 | 6/6 |
| Time of Possession | 31:34 | 31:17 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 29/64 | 24/61 |
| 3rd Down Conversion Defense | 27/72 | 22/57 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 3/4 | 12/16 |
| 4th Down Conversion Defense | 5/9 | 6/11 |
| Sacks By/Yards Lost | 9/52 | 11/75 |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia gets another opportunity to play in an electric atmosphere inside Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday night when it faces 11th-ranked Iowa State in a "Coal Rush" game before a nationally televised audience on FOX.
WVU's last foray in front of a sellout home crowd against now-fourth-ranked Penn State in the season opener ended with a disappointing 34-12 loss.
What is different now from then is a rejuvenated Mountaineer ground game that churned out 389 yards rushing in last week's 38-14 victory at Oklahoma – the most rushing yards versus a power conference team by any team in any game this season.
Sophomore Jahiem White ran for a season-high 158 yards, quarterback Garrett Greene contributed 86 and junior CJ Donaldson Jr. added 77 in a dominant ground performance that saw WVU possess the football for nearly two-thirds of the game.
West Virginia's 65 rushing attempts against the Cowboys were the most by a WVU offense since Sept. 29, 1990, when it ran the ball 66 times in a 38-24 victory at Pitt.
However, getting that type of yardage against coach Matt Campbell's Iowa State defense on Saturday night is probably unrealistic considering what the Cyclones have done this year on that side of the ball.
Iowa State (5-0, 3-0) is allowing just 10 points per game, which ranks sixth nationally, and no team has gained more than 337 yards against the Cyclones so far this season.
ISU ranks fourth nationally in pass efficiency defense, fifth in pass defense, sixth in turnover margin, eighth in interceptions and 13th in total defense. Veteran defensive coordinator Jon Heacock's Cyclones are giving up 138 yards per game on the ground, including 204 in a week-two victory over in-state rival Iowa.
Iowa State's first half/second half defensive splits are telling, indicating Heacock's ability to adjust to what opposing teams are doing offensively. The Cyclones are giving up 126 fewer yards rushing and 112 fewer yards passing after intermission, including fourth quarters that include a 2.45 yards per carry average on the ground and a 37.5% completion percentage through the air.
During last Saturday's 43-21 victory over Baylor, Iowa State limited the Bears to just one third quarter touchdown following intermission.
The leaders on Iowa State's defense are sophomore weakside linebacker Kooper Ebel with 35 tackles, senior defensive tackle J.R. Singleton with 3½ sacks, junior boundary safety Malik Verdon with 32 tackles and safety Jeremiah Cooper and cornerback Jontez Williams with two interceptions each.
"Defensively, they are a three-man front with three safeties in the back end, so it's unique," West Virginia coach Neal Brown said. "We've played all four-man fronts to this point, so it's a totally unique front and not something we see all the time. That's a challenge. And they're really good statistically in the country, ranking among the top in most areas."
Offensively, sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht is completing 65% of his passes and has accounted for 11 total touchdowns in five games so far this season. He threw for a season-high 272 yards in the Iowa victory and passed for a career-high 446 yards in last year's Liberty Bowl loss to Memphis.
Rocco has deep family ties to WVU, beginning with his father, Anthony, a tight end for Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen in the late 1990s. Anthony was recently inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame and will be recognized on the field during Saturday's game.
Rocco's mother, DeeAnn, also attended WVU and his aunt, Tiffany, competed for the Mountaineer gymnastics team. Both are Clarksburg natives. Upwards of 100 family members and friends will be in the stadium on Saturday, according to his father.
Lined up next to Becht in the Iowa State backfield are three different runners averaging better than 5 yards per carry, including shifty Eastern Michigan transfer Jaylon Jackson, who is coming off a season-high 107 yards and two touchdowns in last week's Baylor win. He's averaging 6.1 yards per rush.
Abu Sama III, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound sophomore, ran for 101 yards in the Houston win and is averaging 5.0 yards per tote, while Carson Hansen, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound sophomore, is gaining yardage at a 5.1 yards-per-clip. He ran for 97 yards on 15 attempts against Baylor.
Becht's two favorite targets are 6-foot-4, 215-pound Jayden Higgins, a senior from South Miami, Florida, and 5-foot-11, 200-pound Jaylin Noel, also a senior, from Kansas City.
"They are always balanced, equal run-pass distribution," Brown said. "They use multiple tight ends with motions and shifts and do a good job of getting the ball down the field but stay true to running the football. They are a challenge, and they've got really good players.
"We've got to keep the ball in front of us," Brown added. "They've done a good job with explosive pass plays. We've got to limit them in the run game, and we have to be really good on first down and that's a challenge versus these guys."
Higgins ranks sixth in the Big 12 this week with 33 receptions, those 33 catches going for 403 yards and five touchdowns. Noel shows 24 receptions for 451 yards and two touchdowns. He's also a big-time threat on special teams, returning one punt for 39 yards and one kickoff 72 yards during his career.
The Cyclones have blocked two punts this season, including one last weekend they returned for a touchdown in the second quarter to flip the Baylor game.
"They've got a tremendous returner in Noel, No. 13, who is also one of their leading receivers. He does a great job on kickoff return and punt return," Brown said. "We've got to tackle him, and we've got to protect our punter because they've blocked two punts already."
Iowa State is 5-0 for the first time since 1980 and is looking to improve to 6-0 for the first time since 1938. The Cyclones' last appearance in Morgantown was in 2021, a 38-31 Mountaineer victory.
The two teams didn't play last season.
Six years ago, Iowa State had a "Black Out" game in Ames at night on FS1 resulting in a 30-14 triumph over nationally ranked West Virginia. The Cyclones were coming off a 48-42 victory at Oklahoma State the week prior to facing West Virginia.
This Saturday, the tables are turned with WVU looking to knock off nationally ranked Iowa State before a night-time crowd on FOX. Of course, West Virginia won in Stillwater last weekend.
Tim Brando, who called the game in Ames six years ago and recently posted a video of the Iowa State fans storming the field afterward, will be in Morgantown on Saturday along with analyst Devin Gardner and sideline reporter Josh Sims.
Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.
"We've got to continue to get better and that's what a week of practice and preparation is about," Brown noted. "As you go through the year, the stakes only get higher, and this is an important game because it's our next game.
"We need to play well at home, and we hope we get a really good crowd here," Brown said. "It's a 'Coal Rush' game and the players are excited about that and the uniforms, but none of that really matters. What matters is preparing this week to go out and play at a high level and continue at an upward trajectory as we go through the season."
Mountaineer Sports Network radio coverage will get things started at 5 p.m. with the GoMart Mountaineer Tailgate Show leading into regular network coverage with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning at 7 p.m. on stations throughout West Virginia, online via WVUsports.com and the Varsity Network and WVU Gameday apps.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased through the Mountaineer Ticket Office by logging on to WVUGAME.com.
"It's going to be a great challenge. They are a quality team, but we're looking forward to it," Brown concluded.
West Virginia has won two straight Big 12 games against Kansas and Oklahoma State and is one of five remaining undefeated teams in league play.
Players Mentioned
Arizona State Game Uniform Reveal
Friday, November 14
Arizona State Uniform Reveal
Thursday, November 13
United Bank Playbook: Arizona State Preview
Wednesday, November 12
Brandon Siders | Nov. 11
Tuesday, November 11
