Each week WVSports.com Managing Editor Keenan Cummings provides a look at some of the things that stood out to him during the course of the game and on the stat sheet.
These observations are a snap shot of what unfolded in the West Virginia 28-16 loss to Iowa State and what could happen next for the Mountaineers.
--West Virginia for the second time this season had an opportunity to make some noise with a game at home and for the second time in as many tries simply didn't get it done and fell on their face. The Mountaineers have now lost six straight to ranked teams and for the most part really haven't been able to make them interesting. The team now sits at 3-3 overall, which is convenient because that's essentially what West Virginia has been for the last six years is right around .500. Things started off great with a beautiful 75-yard drive that ate up a lot of clock but managed only three points the rest of the way until a late drive with the Cyclones up 18-points. For whatever reason, this team has found ways to make it hard on themselves and never was that more apparent than when Rodney Gallagher had the ball knocked loose after it was initial ruled a catch on third down but the Mountaineers took forever at the line. From there, it was reviewed and declared incomplete and Michael Hayes missed a 36-yard field goal to keep it 7-0 instead of potentially being 14-0 or at worst 10-0. The Cyclones would score a touchdown just three plays later and all that momentum was gone. It's sequences exactly in that mold that have continued to happen to this team and you just can't expect to be at good teams like that.
-Both teams were at 5.5 yards per play, 71-64 total plays. 148 to 129 rushing yards in favor of West Virginia, 265, 206 passing yards in favor of Iowa State. 394-354 total yards edge to Iowa State but the Cyclones had 28 points and it was because they capitalized on mistakes and finished drives. The Mountaineers didn't.
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