Game Preview: WVU vs. Iowa State
Series: WVU 3-1
Last meeting: 2015: WVU 30 ISU 6
Television: 3:30 p.m.., FS1, Aaron Goldsmith (play-by-play), Ben Leber (analysis)
No. 17/19 West Virginia (8-2, 5-2) will look to get back in the win column when the Mountaineers hit the road for the final time this season against Iowa State (3-8, 2-6) Saturday afternoon on Senior Day.
With the Big 12 Championship now out of the picture following the 56-28 loss to Oklahoma, the Mountaineers will shift the focus to finishing the season on a high note starting with a matchup in Ames.
This will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs with West Virginia winning three of the first four including both of the previous match ups in Ames in 2012 and 2014.
Iowa State is led by first-year head coach Matt Campbell, who enters with a 38-23 record overall after coming over to the Cyclones from Toledo. This season, Campbell has led Iowa State to a 3-8 record in his first year on campus but is coming off two consecutive wins over Kansas and Texas Tech.
Offensively Iowa State averages 28 points and just over 400 yards per contest and will look to establish the run in order to throw the football down the field. The Cyclones will use a variety of formations and personnel groupings showing the ability to run or pass out of each.
The Cyclones will utilize a two-quarterback system with sophomore quarterback Jacob Park and junior quarterback Joel Lanning. Park has been given the starts for the Cyclones and has accounted for 1,420 yards and 12 touchdowns with four interceptions while completing 60-percent of his passes. More of the throwing option between the two, Park can run the ball enough to keep defenses honest.
The Mountaineers matched up against Lanning last season in the 30-6 win connecting on 17-34 throws for 163 yards and two interceptions. But this year he has accounted for 1,290 yards and 9 touchdowns with three interceptions when in the game. However, it’s his feet that separate him at the position as Lanning is second on the team in rushing with 518 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Iowa State will also use multiple running backs with freshman David Montgomery emerging as the lead back with 422 yards and a pair of scores, but sophomore Mike Warren also will receive carries after battling back from an injury. He leads the team with 562 yards and three touchdowns.
When throwing the football, the primary option is junior Allan Lazard and he leads the Cyclones across the board with 65 catches for 915 yards and seven touchdowns. His catch total is over 30 more than the next best on the team, while his yardage total is almost 500 more than any other wide receiver on the team. Lazard is a big physical wide receiver that the Mountaineers have seen in the past.
A new face is freshman wide receiver DeShaunte Jones who plays the slot in the Iowa State offense. He comes in second on the team with 32 catches for 453 yards and six touchdowns and is a threat to turn a short gain into a big chunk of yards with his elusiveness in the open field.
The Iowa State defense will use a multiple 4-2-5 look that will blitz in a controlled fashion and mix up where that pressure is coming from at times. The Cyclones rank 46th nationally in tackles for loss and have gone to a more man-to-man look in the secondary with disguised blitzes from different spots. The heart of the defense is up front with lineman Demond Tucker, one of the most disruptive in the Big 12.
The Mountaineers have won two in a row against Iowa State after a 30-6 win last season and 37-24 in Ames two years ago. West Virginia won its first trip to Ames 31-24 in 2012. Senior quarterback Skyler Howard is 2-0 against the Cyclones.
The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m.
West Virginia Depth Chart:
OFFENSE:
QB - 3 Skyler Howard (Sr), 11 Chris Chugunov (r-Fr)
FB – 28 Elijah Wellman (r-Jr), 47 Michael Ferns (r-So)
RB – 7 Rushel Shell (r-Sr), 25 Justin Crawford (Jr), 4 Kennedy McKoy (Fr)
WR (X) - 1 Shelton Gibson (r-Jr), 12 Gary Jennings (So)
WR (Z) – 2 Ka’Raun White (Jr), 82 Devonte Mathis (r-Sr)
IR (Y) - 6 Daikiel Shorts (Sr), 5 Jovon Durante (So)
LT - 77 Marcell Lazard (r-Jr.), 74 Sylvester Townes (r-Sr)
LG – 57 Adam Pankey (r-Sr), 70 Tony Matteo (r-Sr)
C - 65 Tyler Orlosky (r-Sr), 79 Matt Jones (r-Fr)
RG - 62 Kyle Bosch (r-Jr), 56 Grant Lingafelter (r-Jr)
RT - 53 Colton McKivitz (r-Fr), 71 Rob Dowdy (r-Fr)
DEFENSE:
DE - 97 Noble Nwachukwu (r-Sr), 88 Adam Shuler (r-Fr)
NT - 49 Darrien Howard (Sr), 67 Alec Shriner (r-Fr)
DE - 95 Christian Brown (r-Sr), 92 Jon Lewis (r-Jr)
SAM – 30 Justin Arndt (r-Sr), 5 Xavier Preston (Jr)
MIKE - 3 Al-Rasheed Benton (r-Jr), 44 Hodari Christian (r-Jr)
WILL – 11 David Long (r-Fr), 27 Sean Walters (r-Sr)
CB – 24 Maurice Fleming (r-Sr), 19 Elijah Battle (Jr), 1 Antonio Crawford (r-Sr)
FS – 2 Jeremy Tyler (Sr), 16 Toyous Avery (r-So)
SPUR – 8 Kyzir White (Jr), 18 Marvin Gross, Jr. (r-Jr)
BS - 22 Jarrod Harper (r-Sr), 7 Khairi Shariff (r-Sr)
CB – 13 Rasul Douglas (r-Sr), 14 Nana Kyeremeh (r-Sr)
SPECIAL TEAMS:
PK - 48 Mike Molina (r-Jr), 80 Jonn Young (Fr)
P - 15 Billy Kinney (r-So), 80 Jonn Young (Fr)
LS -46 Nick Meadows (r-Jr), 43 R.C. Brunstetter (r-So)
H – 15 Billy Kinney (r-So), 80 Jonn Young (Fr)
KO - 48 Mike Molina (r-Jr), 15 Billy Kinney (r-So)
PR - 12 Gary Jennings (So)
KR - 1 Shelton Gibson (r-Jr), 12 Gary Jennings (So)
Notes:
--Coaching assignments for this season include: DC/LB Tony Gibson (field), OC/TE-FB Joe Wickline (press box), CB Blue Adams (field), WR Tyron Carrier (field), S Matt Caponi (field), OL Ron Crook (field), D/ST Mark Scott (press box), RB JaJuan Seider (field), DL Bruce Tall (field)
--West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen is 3-1 against Iowa State including 2-0 in Ames. Holgorsen has not gone against Matt Campbell in his previous coaching career.
--West Virginia has won 13 of its last 16 games
--A total of 26 players have seen their first WVU action this season: CB Jordan Adams, S Toyous Avery, CB Elijah Battle, QB Chris Chugunov, CB Antonio Crawford, RB Justin Crawford, CB Mike Daniels, OL Rob Dowdy, FB Michael Ferns, CB Maurice Fleiming, DE Reese Donahue, LB Adam Hensley, P Billy Kinney, LB David Long, OL Colton McKivitz, RB Kennedy McKoy, LB Zach Sandwisch, DL Alec Shriner, DE Adam Shuler, WR Marcus Simms, WR Steven Smothers, S JoVanni Stewart, S Kyzir White, TE Trevon Wesco, TE Stone Wolfley, S Kevin Williams.
--The 2016 roster consists of 120 players from 15 different states.
--There are 34 juniors and seniors on the West Virginia depth chart.
--The West Virginia offensive consists of 19 true freshmen, eight redshirt freshmen, three sophomores, seven redshirt sophomores, one junior, eight redshirt juniors, two seniors and six redshirt seniors.
--Breaking down the West Virginia offensive numbers for the season the Mountaineers have run a total of 756 plays, 422 on the ground and 334 through the air. The rushing game has totaled 2,291 yards for an average of 5.4 yards per carry and 19 touchdowns. The passing attack has totaled 2,757 yards for an average of 13.2 yards per completion and 19 touchdowns.
--The West Virginia offense has gained 105 first downs via the run and 131 via the pass. On average, West Virginia has totaled 229.1 yards per game on the ground, 275.7 yards per game passing.
--The West Virginia offense is ranked No. 14 nationally in total offense.
--West Virginia has had 11 touchdown drives of 80+ yards this season.
--The West Virginia defensive roster includes 20 true freshmen, 10 redshirt freshmen, one sophomore, three redshirt sophomores, nine juniors, four redshirt juniors, two seniors and 10 redshirt seniors.
--The West Virginia defense had held Big 12 opponents to under 50-percent on third down conversions in 26 of 29 games with the lone exceptions being Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
--The West Virginia defense is holding opponents to 24.1 points per game, good for second in the Big 12 Conference and 44th nationally. The Mountaineers also rank No. 37 in pass efficiency.
--West Virginia has 14 senior starters on its depth chart and 20 seniors on its two deep, the most in the Big 12 Conference.
--West Virginia is 79-11 since 2002 when winning the turnover battle.
--The Mountaineers are No. 14 all-time in college football winning percentage.
--Since 2000, West Virginia is 106-13 when scoring 30 or more points in a contest.
Injuries/Suspensions: West Virginia running back redshirt senior Rushel Shell (ankle) saw one snap against Texas but left after appearing to reinjure his ankle. His status is up in the air after not playing against Oklahoma. West Virginia junior free safety Dravon Askew-Henry is out for the season with an ACL injury same can be said for redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste. Freshman linebacker Brendan Ferns is also out for the season with an ACL injury. Freshman cornerback Jake Long is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Redshirt sophomore Jaleel Fields is out for the season with a knee injury. Redshirt junior Xavier Pegues is out until late October with a shoulder injury.
Redshirts: West Virginia has played true freshmen running back Kennedy McKoy, defensive end Reese Donahue, SAM linebacker Zach Sandwisch and WILL linebacker Adam Hensley, wide receiver Marcus Simms, wide receiver Steven Smothers and safety JoVanni Stewart to this point.
Points To Click:
Bounce back. It’s the most obvious key of the game but it’s still not any less important. After seeing the Big 12 Championships aspirations die on a cold, snowy night in Morgantown to Oklahoma, can West Virginia bounce back on the road and finish this season strong? Head coach Dana Holgorsen has already called this the most difficult week of the year given the circumstances and the Mountaineers will enter against an Iowa State team that has won two games in a row. This team has a chance to win ten games, something no West Virginia team has done since the Mountaineers moved to the Big 12 Conference. The time for feeling bad about the last game is over. New goals emerge and the Mountaineers have to come out ready to play or could find themselves in another late season swoon. It will be an emotional day in Ames with the seniors playing their final home game. So focus will be key.
Twin-Kill. Iowa State will utilize a pair of quarterbacks in this game with sophomore Jacob Park and junior Joel Lanning. Park is the primary passing option and has thrown for 1,420 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Lanning has thrown for 1,290 and 9 touchdowns. Lanning is also a threat to run the football and is second on the team in rushing as well as leading the Cyclones with 11 scores. West Virginia must be prepared for both and while each specializes in one department, the two can each run and pass the ball effectively enough to keep defenses honest. This isn’t a new deal as the Mountaineers have encountered this several times this year but they must be prepared for what both can do when the football is in their hands.
Don’t Lose Lazard. Iowa State junior wide receiver Allan Lazard is the primary playmaker for the Cyclones when the ball is in the air with 65 catches for 915 yards and seven touchdowns. The catch number is over 30 more than DeShaunte Jones, who is second on the team while Lazard also holds an edge of over 400 yards in the total yardage department. He has been especially effective in the last four games, going over 100-yards in three of them and catching a touchdown in three as well. When the ball is going down the field, it’s often going to Lazard and it will be key for the Mountaineers to not get sucked up and allow him to make plays down the field.
Get Howard going. West Virginia has struggled offensively two weeks in a row and large part of that comes with the inconsistencies with senior quarterback Skyler Howard. After playing very efficient, mistake free football, Howard has hit a lull and against Oklahoma completed under 58-percent of his passes for the first time all year. Iowa State has had issues on the defensive side this season allowing 29.7 points and over 400-yards per game so it will be key to get Howard going early with some easy completions and maybe a few looks in the run game to get him settled in. This offense is going to go as far as its quarterback and the Mountaineers have to get Howard back on track.
Run the football, stop the run. A tale as old as time. Football is won much more often than not in the trenches and these two teams will attempt to run the football in order to win this game. Iowa State averages 160-yards per game and will use the run to set up the pass. The Mountaineers can’t afford to let a situation like what happened a week ago unfold again. As for when West Virginia has the ball, the run game is a quarterback’s best friend. Establish that and move the chains and it will be a good day.
Back to the basics on defense. It was a tough day at the office for the West Virginia defense against Oklahoma that much is sure. The Mountaineers allowed 36-more points than it did on average this year and allowed the Sooners to stay ahead of the sticks and control the game. Now granted, this Iowa State offense isn’t the same as the one the Mountaineers just played but it’s more than shown its ability to score points and make things interesting especially in Ames and is coming off a 66-point performance a week ago. West Virginia will need to do what it does by stopping the run and then making things difficult for the Cyclones when they can bring pressure and disguise where it comes from.
Play sound on special teams. After the best performance of the season against Texas, the Mountaineers fell flat against Oklahoma. A muffed punt, the first of the year, as well as a roughing the punter penalty each led to Sooners touchdowns. This is a talking point each week but it’s now ten games into the season and the issues on special teams must be limited if the Mountaineers want to win games especially on the road in this conference.
Score touchdowns in the red zone: West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen has said that the Mountaineers are shooting for at least a 50-percent touchdown rate in the red zone. It’s been a mixed bag to date it was again in the last game. West Virginia was 3-6 in the red zone and turned the football over twice. When the team has gotten inside the 20 things have bogged down at times. Whether that’s a penalty, a loss of yards or simply not executing but the Mountaineers have to convert these opportunities into six points instead of three. That’s not a winning formula.
Turnovers: This is an area that goes without saying as turnovers both avoiding them on offense as well as forcing them on the defensive side play a giant role in deciding the overall outcome of games. West Virginia turned the ball over four times against Oklahoma, resulting in 27 points. That came after a week where West Virginia also coughed it up four times against Texas. Turnovers can unglue any team and that can be compounded on the road.