West Virginia football: 3 takeaways from blowout loss to Iowa State
By Phil Poling
1. Good defense isn’t enough for WVU
West Virginia’s defense could be great if they got any opportunities to rest, but the offense didn’t provide them with much against the Cyclones. The WVU defense put the first points on the board, the pick-six by Tykee Smith, but their offense could only match them with seven total points against Iowa State.
The Stills brothers, Dante and Darius, continued their wrecking of opposing offenses, in addition to getting boosts from Reese Donahue, Jordan Jefferson, and Reuben Jones. It was clear, though, that being on the field started to wear them down in the second half. They surrendered 143 yards on the ground while the Cyclones held the ball for 36:11 of game time.
This unit will need to create turnovers and capitalize on every opportunity to eke out a few more wins this season. The early interception was great, but when their own offense threw one and lost two fumbles, it was just too much to overcome.
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Neal Brown and his staff will need to figure things out as the Mountaineers travel to Oklahoma next weekend for a bout with a Top 10 team. It’ll be Brown’s second game at West Virginia versus a ranked opponent, his first on the road. Will he be able to inspire his depleted team?