WVU football overcomes loss at Iowa State | News, sports, jobs

Iowa State running back Carson Hansen (26) throws the ball against West Virginia during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Morgantown, W.Va. (AP Photo/William Wotring)

By design, West Virginia University football coach Neal Brown said, the Mountaineers spend little time thinking about the previous game, whether won or lost.

Sundays are rest days when players watch films alone. The team meets on Monday at 8 a.m. and breaks into position discussions immediately afterward. At 9:35 a.m. the players and coaches go through the corrections and at 9:50 a.m. the subject turns to the next opponent.

“It’s just, hey, it’s next week,” Brown said. “That’s how I put it: It’s the Big 12, it’s a new week.”

After last Saturday’s error-plagued 28-16 loss to Iowa State, it might be best for the Mountaineers to turn things around quickly. Another nationally ranked opponent, No. 17 Kansas State, comes to town for another nationally televised game at Milan Puskar Stadium (Fox) at 7:30 p.m. In reviewing these mistakes against the Cyclones, players and coaches are confident they can be corrected quickly.

“(Iowa State) was a really good football team,” defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said. “And there’s a really good football team coming on Saturday. You have to make those plays in critical areas of the field and in critical situations, and we didn’t do that. You have to look back and ask why, fix the problem and move on.

“No one is going to get better from being at home,” he added. “You fix it and move on.”

No aspect of the team was error-free against Iowa State. The offense consisted of off-target snaps from center Brandon Yates to quarterback Garrett Greene as well as two interceptions. The defense suffered two devastating pass interference penalties, allowed the Cyclones to convert 9 of 14 third-downs and both fourth-down attempts, and gave up a 17-play scoring drive. On special teams, WVU (3-3, 2-1 Big 12) missed a 36-yard field goal, saw an onside kick go awry and had several kickoffs fall short.

“We didn’t play to our full potential,” tight end Treylan Davis said. “Small little things later became big things. And if you don’t do those little things throughout the game, the result is what we did.”

Brown said the snap issues should improve this week. Yates struggled with a hand injury last week and Brown said the way his hand was taped affected how he held the ball.

“I think it’s better,” Brown said of Yates’ hand problems. “He freaked out (Monday). He played well until the end.”

Right tackle Nick Malone said many of the mistakes he saw while watching the film were small ones, ones that weren’t so daunting to overcome that the Mountaineers would have to live with them. Malone said WVU doesn’t have to live with any of them.”

“It’s a small thing, a small block, a small change that goes from a loss of three yards to a gain of six yards,” he said. “It’s a little micro thing that we can fix and it will help us.”

The Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) are a group that can capitalize on mistakes, so the Mountaineers know they have to clean things up before KSU comes to town. There was no specific message from the coaching staff to make this happen, Malone said. There was no need. He said the players are ready to right the ship.

“I wouldn’t say there was a rallying cry,” Malone said. “It’s just getting to the point where you’re disappointed, but now we need to be more together than far apart, especially now, at this crucial time, at this stage of the Games.”

Malone added that WVU’s chemistry should help with that.

“I would say we’re a very tight-knit group,” Malone said. “We are all for one and one for all.” I think we are very close and that will help us along the way.”

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Wide receiver Jaden Bray will be out again this Saturday, Brown said. He was injured at the end of WVU’s win over Oklahoma State and hasn’t played since. Brown said coaches will reevaluate Bray’s status after this week.

Defensive lineman TJ Jackson, who was taken off the field with a lower leg injury against Iowa State, did not practice Monday, Brown said, but he is hopeful of Jackson’s availability Saturday.

“I think it’s going to be close,” Brown said.

Spear Aubrey Burks will have limited practice this week, Brown said, calling his availability “questionable.”

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WVU fans will have to wait a little longer to find out when the Mountaineers’ game begins on October 26 at Arizona. The Big 12 announced Monday that ESPN and Fox will use a six-day network time slot and a time slot for the Arizona contest, meaning that won’t be decided until early this game week.