MORGANTOWN — Matt Campbell knows what his Iowa State football team is getting itself into.
The Cyclones may be undefeated (5-0, 2-0 Big 12) and, at No. 11 nationally, the highest-ranked team in the conference. But Campbell has seen before the scenario ISU is entering Saturday – a night game at Milan Puskar Stadium against West Virginia University.
“What West Virginia will be is another level of excitement,” Campbell said. “They have a phenomenal team. They’ve got one of the greatest fan bases in the country in terms of the pride they have for their Mountaineers and, obviously, a really special team that they have going on, too, right now.”
After two straight wins over Big 12 foes, the Mountaineers (3-2, 2-0 Big 12) are excited themselves to accept their latest challenge, an 8 p.m. nationally televised kickoff (FOX) against the Cyclones. WVU hopes the homefield environment will add a necessary bit of energy needed to clash with one of the nation’s best teams.
On top of being a night game, it will also be WVU’s “Coal Rush” game, where the Mountaineers will debut all-black uniforms. The combination of new unis, national TV, football under the lights and a top-level opponent has West Virginia players excited for what they will experience.
“The Mountaineer fans, they’re just screaming their lungs out,” running back C.J. Donaldson said. “They’re just excited for us to get on that field.”
The Mountaineers have given fans reason to be excited after the last two games, reversing the fortunes of the early season to start the conference slate undefeated. WVU chased a comeback win over Kansas with an overwhelming victory at Oklahoma State that was the Mountaineers’ best performance both offensively and defensively. WVU racked up 389 rushing yards and 558 yards overall, while holding the Cowboys to just 227 total yards in a 38-14 win.
“I’m really proud of how our staff and our players responded,” WVU head coach Neal Brown said. “I thought we competed, really, from the opening to the close.”
The Mountaineers will need that four-quarter effort again Saturday, as they face an Iowa State team that has played just one close game this season. Outside of its 20-19 win over Iowa, the margin of victory in ISU’s four other wins has been 26.3 points.
That has come mainly from a Cyclone defense that is one of the nation’s best, ranked sixth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in points allowed (10 per game), fifth in passing yards allowed (133.6 per game) and eighth in interceptions (eight).
What makes it tougher, Brown said, is that Iowa State’s defense seems to play better as the game goes on.
“You’ve got to have an answer, you’ve got to have a counter,” Brown said. “And (ISU defensive coordinator Jon Heacock) has great answers. Since we started playing them, I know this – they’re a lot better statistically in the second half than the first half, and that tells me, because of coaching, they’re able to fix things.”
Couple that with an offense led by quarterback Rocco Becht – son of WVU Hall of Fame tight end Anthony Becht – that is efficient and keeps the quarterback safe. Iowa State has allowed just three sacks all season. The Cyclones are tied for 27th nationally in tackles for loss allowed (4.2 per game), so the ISU offense is almost always plowing forward.
WVU’s offense has improved from the start of the season, averaging 500.5 yards overall and 6.95 yards per play in its last two games. Campbell credits much of that to WVU quarterback Garrett Greene.
“They have an elite quarterback,” Campbell said of Greene. “He is talented, he is tough, he is gritty. I think every game he has played in since he has been the quarterback at West Virginia, they’ve had a chance to win.”
WVU hopes they’ll continue having those chances to win. A 3-0 start to conference play could give the Mountaineers the momentum to work through what looks like a favorable rest of the Big 12 schedule.
WVU is ready, left tackle Wyatt Milum said, and he thinks the fans at Milan Puskar Stadium will be ready, too.
“The environment’s completely different,” Milum said of WVU’s night-game atmosphere. “The fans are … I don’t know how to explain it … it’s crazy. It’s a big-time event. The team is very excited. I think we’re prepared for this, so I’m excited to see on Saturday.”
— Story by Derek Redd
