Neal Brown's History vs. Ranked Teams While at West Virginia

Is tonight the night the Mountaineers pick up their first big win under the lights in 15 years?

S / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Neal Brown hasn't had much success against Top 25 teams during his tenure at West Virginia, but the success he has had has come when playing in the friendly confines of Milan Puskar Stadium.

The Mountaineers are 3-15 under Brown versus ranked teams and are 3-7 when playing home. Tonight, West Virginia will host 11th-ranked and undefeated Iowa State in a game that could mean a lot come late November.

One of those wins, and the last one for that matter, came against these very Cyclones back in 2021. Iowa State entered that contest ranked No. 22 in the country and fell 38-31 to the Jarret Doege-led Mountaineers.

Doege completed 30-of-46 pass attempts for 370 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions on the day while Leddie Brown added another 109 yards and two scores on the ground. WVU's defense held Brock Purdy in check the afternoon, limiting him to just 185 yards through the air.

While West Virginia has not fared well in these types of matchups under Brown, there is a reason to believe the Mountaineers could turn their fortunes around starting tonight.

They're coming off their most complete game in the last six years with a dominating 38-14 win on the road against Oklahoma State, they'll have a rowdy, juiced-up Coal Rush crowd behind them, and this is the third time already this season they will be playing on a big stage.

At some point, the Mountaineers have to start winning these types of games to show progress under this regime. You can't just beat the teams you are supposed to beat and that be the extent of it.

If you're curious about the Mountaineers' history against ranked opponents under Neal Brown, we've got you covered. Below you'll find a game-by-game breakdown and a split of how they've done at home versus being on the road.

Game-by-Game Breakdown

2019: vs. No. 11 Texas L 31-42

2019: at No. 5 Oklahoma L 14-52

2019: at No. 12 Baylor L 14-17

2019: vs. No. 21 Oklahoma State L 13-20

2020: at No. 15 Oklahoma State L 13-27

2020: vs. No. 16 Kansas State W 37-10

2020: at No. 22 Texas L 13-17

2020: at No. 9 Iowa State L 6-42

2021: vs. No. 15 Virginia Tech W 27-21

2021: at No. 4 Oklahoma L 13-16

2021: vs. No. 22 Iowa State W 38-31

2021: vs. No. 11 Oklahoma State L 3-24

2022: at No. 17 Pitt L 31-38

2022: vs. No. 7 TCU L 31-41

2022: vs. No. 15 Kansas State L 31-48

2023: at No. 7 Penn State L 15-38

2023: at No. 17 Oklahoma L 20-59

2024: vs. No. 8 Penn State L 12-34

Diving into the numbers at home

Record: 3-7

Points per game: 23.8

Points allowed per game: 30.9

Diving into the numbers on the road

Record: 0-8

Points per game: 15.5

Points per game allowed: 33.5

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