West Virginia Knocks of No. 22 Iowa State

West Virginia upsets No. 22 Iowa State

Morgantown, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers (4-4, 2-3) upset the No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones (5-3, 3-2) 38-31 Saturday evening. 

Iowa State stuffed West Virginia's opening drive before taking over at their 17-yard line following a 41-yard punt from Tyler Sumper. Three plays later, Cyclone running back Breece Hall streaked 70 yards untouched for the early touchdown. 

West Virginia responded on its next possession, starting with a 19-yard toss and catch from Jarrett Doege to Winston Wright Jr. Leddie Brown kept the drive alive, gashing the Iowa State defense for 14-yards on a third and two, and T.J. Banks rumbled his way 17-yards to give the Mountaineers a first and goal from the four before Brown burrowed his way into the endzone from two yards out, tying the game at seven. 

West Virginia and Iowa State traded off three and outs. Then, Iowa State regained the lead on a 68-yard strike from Brock Purdy to Tarique Milton with 4:29 remaining in the first quarter. 

The Mountaineers, again, responded behind the physical running game with Leddie Brown and Jarrett Doege and Byrce Ford-Wheaton capping off the nine-play 75-yard drive with a beautiful 20-yard pass in the corner of the endzone to even the game at 14.

The West Virginia defense held Iowa State to another three and out, highlighted by a sack from middle linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo finally bringing Purdy down for the sack after chasing him around in the first quarter. 

On the punt, the return team opened up a hole in the middle of the field, Isaiah Esdale hit it, then bounced it out to the right side for a 27-yard gain to give the Mountaineers field position just inside Cyclone territory. 

West Virginia drove the ball down to the 10-yard line, but the Iowa State defense bowed up, pushing the Mountaineers back four yards and settled for a 31-yard field goal from Casey Legg, grabbing their first lead of the game 17-14 with 9:29 to play in the first half. 

Defenses began settling in, but the Cyclones won the field position at the end of the half, pinning the Mountaineers back at the five-yard line, then holding them to a three and out. 

Iowa State got the ball back with 1:18 remaining in the half near midfield. Brock Purdy drove the offense down to the WVU 23-yard line before settling for a field to tie the game right before the break, 17-17. 

The West Virginia defense held Iowa State to a three and out to open the second half.

After picking up the first down on the Mountaineers first possession of the half, Doege delivered a deep pass down the left side to Bryce Ford-Wheaton but a questionable offensive pass interference was the outcome of the play. 

Then, with West Virginia facing first and 30, Doege dropped back to pass and looked to dump it off to Leddie Brown out in the flat, but WILL linebacker Jake Hummel read the play, stepped in front of the pass and ran it back for the touchdown. 

West Virginia bounced right back and captured momentum when Doege hit Winston Wright Jr. for a 35-yard completion and followed it with a strike to Ford-Wheaton, who made a remarkable catch, stretching back, snagging the ball and getting his left foot down in the back of the endzone to tie the game at 24. 

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Iowa State struck right back behind a 53-yard run from Breece Hall down to the WVU four-yard line before Purdy scampered in from a yard out, taking the 31-24 lead. 

The Mountaineer offense again responded, and what would typically be a drive killer, overcame a holding penalty and methodically moved the ball down the field for 12-play 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a 22-yard touchdown pass to Winston Wright Jr. over the middle on a fourth and three, tying the game a 31.

West Virginia got the ball back at its own 13-yard line and Leddie Brown got the drive started with a 20-yard run before Jarrett Doege hit Esdale four a 14-yarder then hitting Bryce Ford-Wheaton down the sideline for 45-yards to the six-yard line. Three plays later, Brown punched in from two yards to grab the 38-31 lead with 9:25 remaining in the game. 

Iowa State got one more crack to toe the game with just over four minutes to play but the Mountaineer defense holds on a hallmark play from the 30-yard line is the Mountaineers knock off No. 22 Iowa State 38-31.

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