Cyclones Shutout Mountaineers in 2nd Half and Roll

Matchup
1st Downs	26	12
3rd down efficiency	6-14	6-13
4th down efficiency	3-3	0-0
Total Yards	372	190
Passing	229	149
Comp-Att	19-30	19-25
Yards per pass	7.6	6.0
Interceptions thrown	1	1
Rushing	143	41
Rushing Attempts	43	28
Yards per rush	3.3	1.5
Penalties	4-30	6-53
Turnovers	1	3
Fumbles lost	0	2
Interceptions thrown	1	1
Possession	36:11	23:49

Morgantown, WV – An injury-riddled Mountaineer squad fell to a surging Iowa State team 38-14 Saturday evening. Starting quarterback Austin Kendall was injured in the early in the game, and despite backup QB Jack Allison guiding the offense down the field to tie the game at 14 to end the half. However, WVU was shutout in the second half.

It was on the Mountaineers opening possession that Austin Kendall dropped back to pass on a third and two against a heavy blitz from Iowa State and corner Anthony Johnson hit Kendall in the arm as he reared back to pass for the strip-sack. WVU recovered but Kendall was knocked out of the game.

It was the West Virginia defense that put the first points on the board. Brock Purdy set up the screen but off the receivers’ hands into freshman Tykee Smiths as he bobbled the ball before he controlled it and took it to the house to put WVU up 7-0.

Iowa State responded going 65 yards on 11 plays to tie the game at seven. During the drive, the Cyclones were facing a 2^nd and 20 until Purdy hit Sean Shaw for 17 yards. West Virginia held them on third and three, but Purdy found tight end Charlie Kolar wide-open to get down to the WVU 18. Then two plays late, Purdy again hit Kolar to get down to the one before Breece Hall carried it into the endzone.

West Virginia was driving down the field before Leddie Brown fumbled the ball at the Iowa State 37-yard line on a screen pass and Iowa State would capitalize.

The Mountaineer defense was bowing up at midfield but on 3^rd and 14 at a hand to the face call on linebacker Vandarius Cowan kept the drive alive. Then Breece Hall gashed the defense for a 32-yard run to the WVU 19. Four plays later a pass interference in the endzone setup the Cyclones at the two before Purdy punched it in to take a 14-7 lead.

Jack Allison took the field with 6:25 left in the first half. They ate up the clock on their way downfield as Allison went 6-6 for 77 yards including a nine-yard touchdown pass to TJ Simmons knotting the game up at 14 and leaving only 28 seconds on the clock in the half.

On Iowa State’s first possession of the second half, Purdy hit Tarique Milton over the middle on a catch and run for 28 yards. Hakeem Bailey was called for targeting on the tackle and was ejected from the game. After the penalty, Hall crossed the goal line from 12 yards out and the Cyclones were back on top 21-14.

The Cyclones began a drive towards the end of the third quarter that carried over to the fourth that chewed up over six minutes of clock. However, on 11 plays ISU went 47 yards and settled for a 46-yard field goal to extend their lead.

Iowa State smelled blood in the water and the defense held West Virginia to a three and out before the offense went right down the field for another touchdown and broke the game open to a 17-point lead.

Jack Allison threw a pick on the following possession and the Iowa State offense went right back down the field to tack on seven more points, giving them a dominating 38-14 win.