(Football News – Photo Illustration/MetroCreative)
After Oklahoma State’s blowout win last Saturday, West Virginia takes on undefeated and No. 11 ranked Iowa State, poised for a win. With a Cole Rush theme and an enthusiastic sell-out crowd, this was the chance for the big win that fans had been waiting for.
It all started well enough, as WVU opened the game with an impressive 14-play touchdown drive that took nearly eight minutes. The Mountaineers then had a chance to take a two-point lead on their next possession, but the next two plays turned the tide. On a third-and-2 at the Iowa State 18, a pass play that would have resulted in a first down inside the 10 was not cleanly completed, was canceled on review, and West Virginia missed a 36-yard field goal.
The shift in momentum in favor of the visitors did not change until late into the night as the cyclone slowly and methodically squeezed the life out of the climbers. Iowa State played error-free football, with zero turnovers and zero offensive penalties. They were 9-of-14 on third downs and 2-for-2 on fourth downs. That means he converted 11 first downs in 14 third-down scenarios where he had a chance to take them off the field.
Despite this efficiency, West Virginia still had control of the game in the third quarter. The Mountaineers had a chance to retake the lead after trailing 14-10 when the defense forced a punt on two consecutive Iowa State possessions. But things started to loosen up from there.
At the start of the second half, WVU moved the ball to midfield where the No. 2 and No. 5 players faced each other, but Garrett Greene missed the center snap and a negative play occurred, resulting in a third and long shot. , the Mountaineers couldn’t make it. And on the next possession, a promising drive into Iowa State territory ended in an interception. The Cyclones then drove 65 yards and scored a touchdown to take control. The interception followed on the next possession, and the result was no longer in doubt.
The poor center snap was not an isolated misplay. This occurred at least 15 times during the game, often disrupting the timing of plays. Other than one bobble, Green looked like a good major league shortstop on errant snaps. This fundamental execution failure of the middle snap was obvious to observers all night, but was never corrected.
This Saturday: New opportunities come this Saturday as Kansas State’s ranked team comes to Morgantown for Saturday night’s event. The Wildcats improved to 5-1 on the season with a 31-28 barnburner win over Colorado. This matchup will likely determine how the second half of the season unfolds. The Mountaineers sometimes bounce back after a poor performance, but they continue to struggle against quality opponents. Will that change?
Kansas ranked 27th, West Virginia ranked 24th.
