After losing a close one against Texas, West Virginia football takes the field again when they host Iowa State. These three reasons are why it’ll win.
Neal Brown lost his first game versus a ranked opponent this past Saturday when the No. 11 Texas Longhorns defeated his Mountaineers, 42-31. Even in defeat, though, West Virginia had ample opportunities to pull out the victory, giving them plenty to build on moving forward.
They’ll continue their season when Matt Campbell and Iowa State (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) come to Morgantown. The Cyclones are coming off a 25-point home win against TCU, winning 49-24, but the Mountaineers will be looking to get back in the winning column.
The Mountaineers could be without a few key pieces on both sides of the ball, but the way Brown’s been getting production from his young guys, it’d be a surprise if they stop contributing now. Wide receiver Sean Ryan is out for the foreseeable future after undergoing upper-body surgery, likely on his shoulder, while Sam James’ availability is still up in the air.
In addition to them, safety JoVanni Stewart has left the program after playing in every game prior to the Texas matchup.
With last week’s outcome coupled with WVU’s injuries, there’s no telling who will play just yet. But one thing’s for certain: the Mountaineers will play hard for their first-year head coach. We’ve also got three more reasons that should push the Mountaineers past the Cyclones, though.