Game thread: Iowa State football versus West Virginia
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Time: 11 a.m. CDT
Location: MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa
Capacity: 61,500
Line: Iowa State -3
Television: TNT
Play-by-Play: J.B. Long Analyst: Mike Golic Jr. Sideline: Jared Greenberg
HomeRadio: Cyclone Radio Network
Play-by-Play: John Walters Analyst: Eric Heft Sideline: Ryan Harklau
Away Radio:
Play-by-Play: Tony Caridi Analyst: Dwight Wallace Sideline: Jed Drenning
Injury report as of Friday at 9 p.m.
Offensive Spotlight
Iowa State
- Quarterback Jaylen Raynor: Has thrown for 639 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions, while adding 137 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs. Ranks third nationally among active FBS players in career total offense (10,653 yards) and 5th in career passing yards (9,326).
- Running back Aiden Flora: Leads Iowa State with 382 rushing yards on 51 carries (7.5 avg, 3 TDs) and 573 all-purpose yards. Ranks third in the Big 12 in yards per carry and holds the active FBS record with four career 50+ yard punt returns.
- Wide receiver Dominic Overby and Wide receiver Omari Hayes: Hayes leads the Cyclones with 11 catches for 156 yards. Overby has 7 receptions for 142 yards (20.3 avg) and 1 touchdown.
- Kick returner Cameron Pettaway: Leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally in kickoff return average (38.2 yards/return), highlighted by a 100-yard kickoff return TD against Bowling Green.
West Virginia
- Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr.: Ranks second nationally in rushing TDs (9) and passing yards per completion, while accumulating 425 rushing yards and passing for 663 yards and 6 TDs. He is the first WVU player to score three rushing TDs in back-to-back games since 1972.
- Running back Cam Cook: Ranks fifth nationally with 510 rushing yards (127.5 ypg, 3 TDs). Cook leads all active FBS running backs in total rushing yards since the start of 2025 (2,169 yards).
- Wide receiver DJ Epps: Averages 28 yards per reception (recorded 112 receiving yards vs. UT Martin), ranking second nationally in yards per reception.
Defensive Spotlight
Iowa State
- Linebacker Sullivan Schlimgen: Ranks second in the Big 12 in tackling with 8.8 tackles per game (35 total tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 sack) and is coming off a career-high 12 tackles against Utah.
- Linebacker Carson Willich: Second on the team with 24 tackles, 5.0 TFL and 1.0 sack, recording at least one tackle for loss in every game this season.
- Defensive end Isaac Terrell: Earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 7 after recording 3.0 sacks against SEMO.
- Safety Drew Surges: Has recorded 10 tackles and holds 4 career forced fumbles, tied for 14th-most among active FBS players.
West Virginia
- Nickel/Safety Geimere Latimer II: Ranks third nationally in forced fumbles.
- SafetyKamari Wilson: Has 27 tackles, one interception and 1 pass breakup on the season, including a season-high 10 tackles against Virginia.
Iowa State – West Virginia Connections
- Keyon Washington: Redshirted at West Virginia in 2024 before transferring to Bowling Green and subsequently to Iowa State.
- Bowling Green connection: Washington and ISU running back Cameron Pettaway played alongside WVU edge rusher David Afogho at Bowling Green.
- High School teammates: ISU freshman defensive back Torrence “Toe” Sanders, WVU freshman quarterback John Johnson III and WVU freshman wide receiver Greg Wilfred were teammates at Edna Karr High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, where they went 14-0 and won a Louisiana state title.
- Former Falcons: Iowa State linebacker Tristan Exline and WVU defensive lineman Will LeBlanc played together at Division II UT-Permian Basin.
- Coaching Staff connection: WVU running backs coach Jay Boulware served as Iowa State’s running backs coach and co-special teams coordinator under Gene Chizik in 2007–08.
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