WVSports.com continues with our popular feature: The 3-2-1. We'll break down three things we learned that week, two questions we have and give one prediction.

Here is the next installment of the 3-2-1 looking at the West Virginia football program, the latest on basketball, and what’s happening in recruiting.

3 things I learned:

1–Another opportunity lost. After winning back-to-back Big 12 games to set themselves up with a golden chance for some early season redemption at home against No. 11 Iowa State, the Mountaineers again fell short.

West Virginia was beaten convincingly 28-16 on their home field and mistakes and miscues again proved costly for the Mountaineers. West Virginia had a pair of turnovers, a missed field goal, a penalty on third and goal and a dropped pass to take a 7-0 lead after the first drive of the game and be outscored 28-9 the rest of the way. And even six of those points came late in the game with the Mountaineers trying to cut into an 18-point commanding lead by the Cyclones.

The Mountaineers now have fallen to 3-3 on the season and more importantly 2-1 in the Big 12 as the stage once again proved too big for this team to handle. There were issues with snaps on the offensive side throughout the game and while the defense had one bust, played fairly well for portions before breaking at the end.

Unfortunately, it's an all-too-familiar story with this football team against ranked opponents and another instance where the Mountaineers simply weren't able to get it done in a showcase nationally televised contest.

Now, at 3-3 with Kansas State at home up next, the Mountaineers are going to have to turn their attention quickly to the Wildcats and try to put this behind them. But in the end it's another game where there was a big opportunity in front of them and this team simply wasn't able to get it done.

The nature of this league means that there will be more close games in the future, but West Virginia now sits at 3-3 or at .500 which has been basically where the program has been around for the past six years. Can this team find a way to try to get over the hump in the next one against Kansas State? The season might depend on it.