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West Virginia vs. Iowa State: 2 top backs, 2 shaky defenses

Dustin Judge
West Virginia vs. Iowa State preview: Mountaineers defend at Milan Puskar Stadium against Utah in 2025

The West Virginia vs. Iowa State game on Saturday pairs two teams that opened Big 12 play with double-digit losses and need a win in Ames. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. CT (12 p.m. ET) on TNT, truTV and HBO Max, and the matchup features two of the league’s most productive running backs.

West Virginia vs. Iowa State game information

  • Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
  • Time: 11 a.m. CT (12 p.m. ET)
  • Venue: MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa (Iowa State’s homecoming)
  • TV: TNT, truTV and HBO Max
  • Records: West Virginia 3-1 (0-1 Big 12), Iowa State 2-2 (0-1 Big 12)

How each team got here

West Virginia was 3-0 before it hosted Oklahoma State on Sept. 26. The Mountaineers led 24-21 late in the third quarter, then watched the Cowboys score the final 20 points in a 41-24 loss. Oklahoma State finished with 609 total yards, or 9.0 per play, while West Virginia ran for 334 yards, WVSportsNow reported. (FOX Sports put the yardage allowed at 605.)

Iowa State’s problem came earlier. Then-No. 15 Utah scored on the game’s first play, a 54-yard run by Wayshawn Parker, and led 24-3 at halftime on the way to a 31-17 win at Jack Trice Stadium, according to Iowa State athletics. Coach Jimmy Rogers said afterward, “Us not being able to tackle at all today led to this.” He counted 29 missed tackles in the game, CBS Sports reported.

Quarterbacks and the run game

Michael Hawkins Jr. gives West Virginia a dual threat. He has 609 passing yards and five touchdowns, plus 425 rushing yards and a team-best nine rushing scores, West Virginia athletics reported. Against Oklahoma State he passed for just 132 yards but ran for 102 and scored all three of the Mountaineers’ touchdowns.

Iowa State’s Jaylen Raynor has thrown for 639 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions, completing 50 of 92 passes, per the Cyclones’ season statistics. Sports Illustrated’s Schuyler Callihan wrote that Raynor can put the ball at risk, which could give West Virginia’s pass rush a chance to change the game.

Cam Cook vs. Aiden Flora: the key matchup

The headline matchup is on the ground. West Virginia’s Cam Cook leads the Big 12 with 510 rushing yards on 99 carries, and Iowa State’s Aiden Flora has 382 yards on 51 carries, a 7.5-yard average, CBS Sports reported. Whichever defense tackles better will likely decide how long each back stays on the field.

Neither unit has much cushion. FOX Sports noted that Iowa State allowed about seven yards per play against Utah, and its Will Hill picked West Virginia (+3.5) to win outright. ESPN’s FPI gives the Mountaineers a 37.7% chance, a figure Callihan called too low.

What to watch in West Virginia vs. Iowa State

Coach Rich Rodriguez, making his first trip to Ames with this staff, set a simple formula: “We’ve got to control the football offensively, and we’ve got to get first downs.” He also warned that Iowa State’s veteran quarterback “is going to be hard to fool.”

For West Virginia, the question is whether the defense that gave up 609 yards can recover. For Iowa State, it is whether it can tackle well enough to avoid another early hole. For more Saturday coverage, see our previews of Indiana vs. Rutgers, Washington vs. USC and Penn State vs. Northwestern.

Sources: WVU Athletics, Iowa State Athletics, CBS Sports, FOX Sports, Sports Illustrated, WVSportsNow and Yahoo Sports.

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.