MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Iowa State Cyclones continued to showcase their dominance with a 28-16 victory over West Virginia on Saturday night, marking their first six-game winning streak to start the season since 1938.
As the Cyclones improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 within the Big 12 Conference, they claimed a shared spot at the top of the league alongside BYU and an idle Texas Tech. Meanwhile, Colorado’s performance was awaited as they played later in the evening.
In a tightly contested matchup, Iowa State capitalized on key turnovers in the second half. The first major turning point came when West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene was intercepted, leading to an aggressive offensive response from the Cyclones. Rocco Becht connected with Eli Green for consecutive passes of 12 and 34 yards, placing Iowa State at West Virginia’s 17-yard line. Following a defensive holding penalty against West Virginia’s Ayden Garnes, Iowa State was given first-and-goal at the 3-yard line. Carson Hansen swiftly rushed in for a touchdown, extending their lead to 21-10 early in the fourth quarter.
Minutes later, Jontez Williams intercepted Greene again on the next West Virginia possession, giving the Cyclones excellent field position at the Mountaineers’ 34-yard line. Hansen showcased his talent, sprinting for 20 yards before scoring again on a 2-yard run, putting Iowa State ahead 28-10 with just 4:42 remaining in the game.
Hansen, a standout sophomore, also achieved an 11-yard touchdown run earlier in the game, totaling 96 rushing yards, just shy of his career-best 97 yards from the previous week’s matchup against Baylor. This performance was a significant improvement from his total of 67 rushing yards for the entire previous season.
On the other hand, West Virginia (3-3, 2-1) struggled against Iowa State’s strong defense, managing only 148 rushing yards after demonstrating a powerful ground game the week prior with 389 rushing yards at Oklahoma State. The Mountaineers experienced difficulties due to several high snaps that disrupted their offensive timing and plays that resulted in lost yardage.
Becht was efficient under center for Iowa State, completing 18 of 26 passes for 265 yards, which included a long 60-yard touchdown pass to Jaylin Noel that resulted from defensive breakdowns during the second quarter. Adding an emotional touch to the night, Becht’s father, Anthony, was honored for his recent induction into the West Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, recognizing his successful career as a tight end with the Mountaineers from 1996 to 1999 and his subsequent 11 years in the NFL.
For West Virginia, Jahiem White contributed with an 8-yard touchdown run and a 10-yard reception for another score.
The takeaway from the game highlighted Iowa State’s balanced and effective performance on both sides of the ball, extending their winning streak to seven consecutive road games. The Cyclones’ defense, which ranks as the sixth-best scoring defense in the nation, proved relentless once again. In contrast, West Virginia continued to struggle with mistakes in critical situations and faced the disappointment of an eighth straight loss against ranked opponents.
Looking ahead, Iowa State will host UCF next Saturday night, while West Virginia is set to face No. 18 Kansas State at home on the same evening.