Three Keys to Victory for West Virginia football against Iowa State

The West Virginia Mountaineers have played 5 games so far this season. The two games with the biggest expectations, surrounded with the most pre-game hype, resulted in losses (vs Penn State, at Pitt) for WVU. After back-to-back wins to begin Big 12 Conference play, Saturday’s primetime matchup with the 11th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones has the makings of an electric atmosphere in Morgantown. Additionally, the Mountaineers will be debuting their “Coal Rush” uniforms under the lights. A win over the Cyclones would not only be the biggest win of Neal Brown’s tenure at WVU, but it could go a long way to re-writing the narrative surrounding WVU and its lack of success in highly anticipated matchups.

Three Keys to Victory for West Virginia against Iowa State

1. WVU must establish the running game

Obvious? Yes. While it may seem a moot point, the numbers don’t lie. Under Neal Brown, West Virginia is a significantly better team when they can get the running game going early and often. During Neal Brown’s tenure, he has a record of 34-31. In that time, West Virginia has rushed for over 200 yards in 18 games. Their record in those games is an impressive 17-1. The inverse on WVU’s running game is also true. The inability to run the ball with that level of productivity has brought some trouble in the record department. West Virginia has a record of just 17-30 in matchups where they have failed to reach 200 yards on the ground.

Against Oklahoma State last Saturday, West Virginia carried the ball 65 times, accumulating 389 yards en route to a 38-14 victory over the Cowboys. If West Virginia were to knock off the unbeaten Cyclones, West Virginia’s success on the ground would have to carry over to this weekend. 

2. WVU must win the turnover battle 

West Virginia has forced 5 turnovers through 5 games. But conversely, they have turned the ball over 8 times on the season. Meanwhile Iowa State has collected 11 takeaways while turning the ball over just 4 times.

The 5-0 Cyclones have great talent on both sides of the ball, and one of the ways that the Mountaineers can overcome this discrepancy is by winning the turnover battle. In addition, mitigating Iowa State's decisive turnover margin advantage they've had against team's this year gives them less opportunities to put the game away.

As favorites on the road in Morgantown, the Cyclones have their sights set on improving to 6-0 and 3-0 in conference play, but Garrett Greene and the Mountaineers have different plans. The offense needs to play clean football while an aggressive defense will need to force a couple takeaways that can put the Mountaineers in scoring position.

3. WVU must have a big showing from Kole Taylor

WVU tight end Kole Taylor has 13 receptions for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season. At 6’7”, Taylor is a matchup nightmare for defenses. While the aforementioned WVU running game will be a vital part of any success that they are able to have, there’s a strong possibility that West Virginia will have to do more in the air than they had to in last week’s win over Oklahoma State. 

Scoring points is no easy task against an impressive Iowa State defense. Through their first 5 games, the Cyclones have allowed an average of just 10 points per game. They are 1st in the Big 12 and 6th nationally in points per game allowed. Kole Taylor can serve as a bit of a safety net for Garrett Greene and the offense. Whether used as a target for converting 3rd downs or a weapon in the red zone, a big game from Taylor would bode well for a Mountaineer victory.

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