On Saturday, the Mountaineers will host No. 11 Iowa State in what may be their most challenging Big 12 matchup of the year.
The Cyclones are 5-0 this year (2-0 in conference play) and are outscoring opponents 156-50. WVU is 3-2 (2-0 in conference play), coming off a road win against Oklahoma State.
Our staff gives their predictions:
Ryan Roddy: Iowa State travels to play West Virginia Saturday night, coal rush, game under the new lighting system at Milan Puskar Stadium. To say that it will be a great football atmosphere is an understatement. After starting the season 1-2, losing to two teams with a bitter relationship, WVU has won back-to-back Big 12 games but will now play the highest-ranked team in the conference. The Cyclones are well-balanced. Their offensive is methodical yet explosive and their defense is restricting. ISU quarterback Rocco Becht looks to continue to impress playing his father’s alma mater. For West Virginia, their coming off a game in which they dominated the ground. However, I believe they will need to come up with something different against that Cyclone front; Maybe outside runs and pitches to Jahiem White to get him out in space. I do expect the Mountaineers to lean on the passing game more than usual against Iowa State. Overall, I believe it will come down to the defense’s play and who will be able to make the big stops, as I think it will be a close game. I predict Iowa State will barely escape Morgantown with a victory.
Iowa State 23, West Virginia 20
Korey Moore: Statistically, Rocco Becht is the third most efficient quarterback in the Big 12, with the fourth highest completion rate and third most yards per completion. He is not much of a rushing threat, but he has three running backs that are. The Cyclones’ offense is protected by an underrated offensive line after years of not having a great one. In terms of momentum, Iowa State is coming off less impressive wins than West Virginia, but the energy of being the No. 11 team in the nation matches up well against a team returning from a road win against one of the most disappointing teams in college football. Offensively, Iowa State does everything WVU does at a slightly lower level, led by a quarterback performing at a higher level, and against an inconsistent defense from WVU. I expect this to be a scoring battle that the Cyclones win.
Iowa State 42, West Virginia 27
Tanner Mountz: The Coal Rush is finally here and with it is an expected rowdy Morgantown crowd dressed in all black to welcome the Iowa State Cyclones. The opportunity is there for Neal Brown to pick up his biggest win in his career against the number 11 team in the country with the chance to improve to 3-0 in the Big 12 Conference. This game will all revolve around Garrett Greene and his ability to throw the ball down the field. Iowa State will most certainly come in with the focus to take away WVU’s rushing attack, forcing Greene to beat them with his arm. There will be shots to be had down the field for the Mountaineers and if Greene can connect on a few, WVU will have more than a good chance to pull the upset. In the end, I think the WVU defense will struggle a bit to stop the balanced attack of the Cyclones and will lose a close one.
Iowa State 31, West Virginia 27
RJ Russell: Coming off a dominant win over Oklahoma State where the Mountaineers ran for 389 yards, I expect that the offense starts fast and looks to get Jahiem White going early again. The Mountaineers defense is going to have a tough time trying to slow down the Iowa State pass attack. I think ultimately the Mountaineers will pick up a huge win against a really good Iowa State team.
West Virginia 41, Iowa State 38
Joe Antenucci: No. 11 Iowa State will face a tough atmosphere on Saturday night under the lights, with the Mountaineers hosting a “Coal Rush” game. This is the toughest team the Cyclones have faced so far this season, making it a true test against a red-hot WVU squad coming off a huge road win against Oklahoma State. Like their last game, WVU will need to establish the run to win, but this will be more difficult against a stronger Iowa State run defense. The Cyclones are a well-coached program and have controlled the clock efficiently, ranking in the top 10 nationally in average time of possession. I expect a back-and-forth battle, but I give the edge to West Virginia at home.
West Virginia 27, Iowa State 21
