Playing for the first time after a loss in 2026, West Virginia looks to rebound at noon Saturday when it takes on Iowa State at Jack Trice Stadium.
The contest that has both teams in search of their first Big 12 Conference victory will air on TNT/HBOMax.
“Every week is a gut-check moment, but I’m anxious to see how they respond,” Mountaineers’ head coach Rich Rodriguez said.
WVU (3-1) wants to move beyond the disappointment of last week’s 41-24 loss to Oklahoma State in what will be a far different challenge against the Cyclones.
The Cowboys threw for 389 yards and totaled 609, the most West Virginia has allowed under defensive coordinator Zac Alley.
The Cyclones (2-2) will employ different offensive tactics and don’t possess a similar style or the proficiency of the Cowboys.
ISU has 659 passing yards, 4 fewer than WVU despite having thrown 29 more times. Quarterback Jaylen Raynor has the second-lowest completion percentage in the Big 12 at 54.3, having hit 50-of-92 passes for 639 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions, all of which come over the last two games.
“I know the world wants me to point the finger at one person. I refuse to do that,” first-year Iowa State coach Jimmy Rogers said. “This is a team sport and we need to put the players in the right situation as coaches and the players have to execute and do the details on which it takes to have success inside of a play. It’s not just Raynor. It’s a collection of everybody, myself included.”
An Arkansas State transfer who played extensively for the Red Wolves each of the previous three years, Raynor is a threat to run and has 137 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. His 40 career starts are second among FBS quarterbacks.
The Cyclones are in the middle of the pack in rushing among Big 12 teams at 180.5 yards on average, and tailback Aiden Flora has carried the load with 382 yards and three touchdowns on 51 attempts. Flora had 107 combined rushing and receiving yards in last week’s 31-17 loss to No. 15 Utah and rushed for a career-high 194 yards with two touchdowns the week prior in a 48-point win against Bowling Green.
Iowa State has at least 100 rushing yards in 21 consecutive contests, the longest such streak in the FBS.
“I’ve been impressed with their running game,” WVU defensive coordinator Zac Alley said. “The tailbacks run hard. They break tackles, they get downhill. You can tell they’re well-coached, hard-nosed. It’s bloody your teeth through the A gap, then come back and do it again.”
While the Cyclones are averaging 30.8 points across their first four games under Rogers, they’ve been held to a combined 30 in losses to Iowa and the Utes — the team’s two matchups with power conference opponents.
Defensive struggles were noticeable against Utah and the Cyclones’ had difficulty slowing the Utes on the ground.
After allowing 205 rushing yards on 6.2 yards per carry a week ago, Rogers’ team again figures to be challenged in that regard against WVU. The Mountaineers have rushed 63 more times than the next closest team in the conference and lead the Big 12 with an average of 294.8 rushing yards.
“Watching their team play, the physicality and effort and how those guys operate, you can see there’s a demand of excellence,” Rogers said. “We’re going to have our hands full. There’s an appreciation of their staff, but also just their team in general.”
Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has 72 rushing attempts and 60 passes, while combining for 14 touchdowns on the ground and through the air. With 21 points per game, Hawkins ranks No. 5 nationally.
Hawkins’ 425 rushing yards are second on the squad to running back Cam Cook, who has 510 yards and leads all FBS players with 99 carries.
“When we’re playing well, we’re getting first downs and getting three-and-outs. Sounds simplistic, but that’s the truth,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve gotten first downs OK for the most part. We have not gotten three-and-outs like we need to.”
While the Mountaineers and Cyclones have split 12 previous meetings in a series that started in 2012, Iowa State has had the upper hand of late, having won five of the previous six and three straight in Ames.
“It’s a chance to win the first game on the road in the conference,” Rodriguez said. “I think they’ll respond well. I don’t think they have a choice. What do you do differently in your practices? Nothing. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will be the same, but it’s always the same whether you win or lose. Will there be a little bit more intensity? I hope so. Maybe a little bit more of a ticked-off type of feeling. If you’re lingering from last game, you really haven’t moved on.”