Storylines to Keep an Eye On for WVU-Iowa State Coal Rush Game

Everything is on the line for WVU in this game vs. Iowa State. A night game coupled with a national audience and the debut of a new uniform makes a matchup between two teams with unbeaten records in conference play that much more intriguing.

Here are the key storylines to keep an eye on for when West Virginia and Iowa State battle in a Big 12 showdown on Saturday night.

A Win Over No. 11 Iowa State Would Be Biggest for Neal Brown at WVU

There’s no denying the magnitude of West Virginia’s upcoming game against Iowa State, both for the Mountaineers and head coach Neal Brown.

A night game in Morgantown takes any matchup to another level for fans. Couple the time of day with the fact the Cyclones are ranked (No. 11 by the Associated Press), the new Coal Rush uniform will debut and the Big 12 implications and this game becomes the most important for Brown yet at WVU.

Brown has a 69-47 overall record in his career as a coach, but sits just barely above water with the Mountaineers at 34-31. While he has won some big games, he certainly hasn’t won enough of them. And while much of Brown’s tenure has included playing more Power 4 (previously Power 5) opponents than most programs, he’s well aware the fans don’t want to hear excuses, they just want to win.

Neal Brown Creates Visual to Symbolize WVU’s Approach to Schedule

Brown takes his week to week approach to the schedule to another level as WVU prepares for their biggest conference game to date. Instead of it just being a talking point and a mentality, it’s now something the players can visualize every day.

A big sheet of paper with “1-0” on it has been plastered over the 2024 schedule on a wall outside the team meeting room inside the facility. The redecorating comes after the Mountaineers’ dominating performance in a road win over Oklahoma State and as they get ready to face a nationally ranked Iowa State team under the Milan Puskar Stadium light son Saturday night.

When asked the point of adding the visual on a wall, Brown said it’s about showing what’s important and staying focused. “The good thing about our league is you have a chance to win every week. The bad thing about our league is you have a chance to lose every week,” said Brown at his weekly press conference on Monday.

National Writer High on Iowa State Calls WVU ‘Tricky’ Matchup

With both teams entering the game unbeaten in conference play, the winner of the WVU-Iowa State game will be in a solid position in the Big 12. And even those who believe the Cyclones will continue their win streak know facing the Mountaineers under the Milan Puskar Stadium lights will be a challenge.

Friend of the entire Sports Now Network Bill Bender of the Sporting News even added a note about the possibly WVU could cause a hiccup for Iowa State on their path to the Big 12 Championship Game.

“We have put four different four Big 12 teams in this spot in four weeks – a nod to the wild nature of a conference race built on parity. BYU (5-0) also is unbeaten, but the Cyclones rolled up 542 yards of offense in a 43-21 blowout against Baylor. Iowa State has allowed just 10 points per game and has five consecutive games against unranked opponents. Still, a road trip to West Virginia in Week 7 is tricky,” said Bender while projecting the Cyclones to advance to the College Football Playoff as the No. 4 seed thanks to winning the 2024 Big 12 title.

Neal Brown Evaluates Garrett Greene After He Earned High Grade for OSU Performance

After an up and down first four games, Garrett Greene has helped turn WVU’s season around by stepping up his game. Greene was even recognized for his recent solid play in West Virginia’s dominating performance in their 38-14 win over Oklahoma State.

PFF made Greene one of their highest graded quarterbacks of the week, coming in at No. 7 on their list. Greene earned a grade of 87.3 from his success on the road in Stillwater.

Brown offered his current evaluation of Greene and his progression throughout the season during his weekly press conference.

“He made some checks and stuff in the game, some run checks and protection checks in that game on Saturday that were really good to se from a quarterback that’s maturing. I thought his decision when to run and when not to run were good and he was accurate with the ball with the exception of two go balls,” said Brown.

Offensive coordinator Chad Scott added his own assessment, saying Greene has been trusting his playmakers more and making better decisions in the last two games.

Information about the game:

The Mountaineers 3-2 (2-0, Big 12) and Cyclones 5-0 (2-0, Big 12) are set to kickoff at 8 pm ET on Oct. 12. WVU will debut their new Coal Rush uniform under the Milan Puskar Stadium lights. WVU is considered a slight underdog going into the game.

The Saturday night atmosphere will also serve as the backdrop to Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht’s father Anthony being honored. Former Mountaineer Anthony Becht was unable to attend his induction into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame and will be honored when his son is in town.

Both WVU and Iowa State are among five remaining undefeated teams in the Big 12 standings. Iowa State is coming off a 43-21 win over Baylor.

For related stories, Mike Asti and Ethan Bock discussed what a win over Iowa State would mean for WVU and Neal Brown on an episode of Mountaineer Report. Asti also spoke with Cycloneer Lea Nelson about her rooting interests for this big game.