Freshman Brock Purdy threw for 254 yards and three TDs and
Iowa State throttled sixth-ranked West Virginia 30-14 on Saturday
night, handing the Mountaineers their first loss in emphatic fashion.
David Montgomery had a career-high 189 yards rushing for the
Cyclones (3-3, 2-2 Big 12), who capped a wild day by beating a Top
25 team for the fifth time in seven tries.
Iowa State scored 20 straight points after spotting West
Virginia an early touchdown off a turnover. Purdy then found Deshaunte Jones
through a pair of defenders on a sprawling 32-yard TD grab that, after a
two-point conversion, put Iowa State ahead 28-14 with 12:17 to go.
The story of the game was Iowa State’s defense, which
dominated the high-flying Mountaineers on a windy and chilly night. West
Virginia gained just 152 yards, 420 below its season average.
Fittingly, the Cyclones sealed the win by forcing a hold in
the end zone for a team safety and a 30-14 edge with 5:14 left.
Will Grier had arguably his worst game as a Mountaineer,
throwing for just 100 yards. West Virginia was outgained by 346 yards, a
stunning figure for a team that hadn’t even trailed in rolling up five straight
wins.
THE TAKEAWAY
WEST VIRGINIA:
The Mountaineers still control their destiny in the Big 12,
with games against Texas and Oklahoma left on the schedule. But their
playoff hopes are currently out of their hands. Still, it’s early, and if West
Virginia can regain the offensive form they showed through the early part of
the season it’ll be tough to beat. But this was a bad, bad loss.
IOWA STATE: The
Cyclones have held all six of their opponents below their season average, which
has been instrumental the team’s bounce back from a 1-3 start. Can Iowa State
grab the second spot in the Big 12 title game? Probably not — but the
schedule will ease up considerably and these Cyclones seem capable of going on
a run.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
West Virginia’s fate will rest on how many voters realize
what kind of defense Iowa State has in 2018, and how well the Cyclones
have played in big games over the past two years — especially at home.
UP NEXT
WEST VIRGINIA:
The Mountaineers will take on Baylor on Thursday October 25th
IOWA STATE: The
Cyclones are off next week.
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