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Every Tuesday and Thursday through late June, we’re working through all 12 opponents on WVU’s 2026 schedule.

Here’s our First Look at Iowa State

Game Vitals

When: Saturday, October 3, 2026

Where: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa

Series Record: The series is tied 6-6 all-time. Iowa State has won four of the last five, including the last two. WVU’s last win came in 2021, 38-31 in Morgantown. This is the year the Riot Bowl trophy returns to West Virginia.

2025 Record: 8-4 (5-4 Big 12)

Head Coach: Jimmy Rogers (1st season)

Preview

After a year hiatus, the Riot Bowl returns to Ames this fall.

Iowa State lost the greatest coach in program history when Matt Campbell left for Penn State after 10 years in Ames. 55 players entered the transfer portal after his departure, 24 of them following Campbell directly to Happy Valley, including quarterback Rocco Becht. Jimmy Rogers comes in from Washington State, where he went 7-6 in his one season with the Cougs, and brought a handful of those players with him to Ames. The question isn’t whether Iowa State will take a step back this year. They will. The question is how far and how fast can Rogers get his team going.

The most important unresolved question is the quarterback. Jaylen Raynor, a grad transfer from Arkansas State, is trending toward the starting job heading into fall camp. Rogers said the competition between Raynor and Oklahoma State transfer Zane Flores was “a pretty solid match” throughout spring, and it likely won’t be settled until August. Whoever wins the job will lead an offense that offensive coordinator Tyler Rohel — back at Iowa State after a year coaching tight ends with the Detroit Lions — wants to build around running the ball and being physical.

The running back room took a hit in May when Oregon State transfer Salahadin Allah tore his Achilles and was ruled out for the season. Cameron Pettaway and Aiden Flora will step up in his place. Pettaway was the MAC Freshman of the Year at Bowling Green, leading the nation in kick return average at 33 yards per return. He opened last season with a 98-yard kickoff return. He’s at his best in space. Flora stayed at Iowa State through the coaching change and earned his role the hard way, starting as a walk-on. Ryver Peppers, recovering from a leg injury sustained at Colorado last fall, is expected back by fall camp and gives the room another explosive option Rogers is counting on.

At receiver, Tarleton State transfer Cody Jackson stood out in the spring. Evan Boyd gives the offense a 6’3” target. Omari Hayes from Tulane adds another dimension to a room that receivers coach Derrick Sherman is still figuring out.

The offensive line remains one of the biggest question marks on the roster. Rogers called it a melting pot after spring, and OL coach Jake Thronton has a depth chart that is still wide open. Jake Taylor brings SEC experience and took first-team reps in the spring alongside Montana transfer Colin Amick.

The Cyclone’s defense is undergoing a significant transition. Rogers is installing a four-man front — Iowa State ran a 3-4 under Campbell — with defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit running a multiple scheme built on disguise and four-man pressure. The Washington State transfers along the defensive line, including DT Bryson Lamb and edge Isaac Terrell — who had seven sacks for the Cougs last season — are ahead of everyone else in learning the system and have been coaching their teammates through the spring. The bigger concern is the secondary — Toledo transfer Braden Awls led the MAC with five interceptions for the Rockets last season and was expected to anchor the safety room before tearing his ACL in the spring. He’s out for the year.

Iowa State’s win total is set at 5.5, and outside predictions range from three to six wins. Nobody really knows — this team has too many new pieces at too many important positions.

Way Too Early Prediction

Rogers is a proven winner in year-one situations. He took a similarly overhauled Washington State roster to a bowl game, and Jack Trice is a genuinely difficult place to play. But Iowa State is still sorting out their quarterback, their offensive line, and their secondary. Like Oklahoma State, I’m glad we get the Clones in the front end the season. If this game were in November, I’d feel a lot differently about it. The Mountaineers have an opportunity here. Road games in the Big 12 are never easy, but a win in Ames will go a long way in setting the Mountaineers up for a successful year.

West Virginia 27, Iowa State 21
Projected record through Week 5: 4-1 (2-0 Big 12)

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