Cummings and Goings: The WVSports.com: 3-2-1

1—West Virginia knocks off Iowa State. To say the Cyclones had the Mountaineers number over the last three seasons would be putting it lightly. West Virginia was outscored 110-34 over those three contests including a humiliating 42-6 defeat in Ames a season ago. That’s an average score of 37 to 11 and the games haven’t even felt that close during that stretch.

That defeat last season became the off-season calling card for the program as motivation after Iowa State essentially whipped the Mountaineers on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The 42-6 score was plastered all over during the strength and conditioning aspect in the winter and even leading up to fall camp as a reminder of how much the Cyclones controlled that football game.

Message heard loud and clear as West Virginia responded with their best performance of the season knocking off the Cyclones 38-31. It was the most points and yards that Iowa State had allowed either this season or last season and was the first time that the Mountaineers had hit the 30-point mark in almost a year to the day. West Virginia was physical on both sides of the football and for the second straight week showed some resiliency after falling behind 7-0 early in the game.

West Virginia was able to answer the Cyclones three different times after they had taken leads in the game and after a stop, was able to take the lead for good in the fourth quarter. It took not one, but two stops to close things out but it gives Neal Brown and company another building block win as they attempt to continue to bring this football program along.