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Iowa State football is undefeated and rolling in the Big 12 Conference this season. Armed with young gun Rocco Becht at quarterback, the Cyclones are spinning in the right direction toward a conference championship game appearance.
West Virginia is the next opponent that stands in the way. The Mountaineers have won two in a row, and the team is hosting a Coal Rush event for the Iowa State game Saturday night. The West Virginia team is wearing all black uniforms for the game. Simply put, this one should be a good one.
Here are some bold predictions for Iowa State football heading into this showdown in Morgantown.
Iowa State's Rocco Becht will have his best game of the season
Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has never faced West Virginia before, but he has a history with the school. Becht is the son of former NFL tight end Anthony Becht, who played his college football at West Virginia. Interestingly, Rocco didn't end up following his dad's footsteps to the school. That's because West Virginia didn't offer him, per Sports Illustrated.
On Saturday, West Virginia is honoring Anthony, by inducting him into the school's Sports Hall of Fame. Anthony Becht will be in attendance, and he will be honored in front of his son. That atmosphere will bring out the best in Rocco, who has a bone to pick with WVU. As mentioned, Rocco didn't get an offer from the Mountaineers despite being a legacy player.
On the season, Rocco has Iowa State at 5-0. He's thrown for 1,173 yards and nine touchdowns, with three interceptions. He will have his best game of the year against West Virginia on Saturday, because sometimes revenge is a dish best served cold. For the first time this season, Rocco will reach the 300 yard mark in passing during a game.
That leads to the next bold prediction about this contest.
Iowa State's defense will hold West Virginia to under 24 points
The Cyclones once again have one of the best defenses in the Big 12. In fact, Iowa State football has the best scoring defense in the Big 12 Conference this season. The team is allowing just 10 points a game, per league stats.
The team is actually improving from where they were last season. In 2023, Iowa State finished the season with the third best scoring defense in the Big 12, allowing just 24.6 points per game. Head coach Matt Campbell hangs his hat on the defensive side of the ball, and that truly keeps his team in games.
That defense will truly be tested against West Virginia. The Mountaineers' rushing offense is no joke, piling up more than 220 rushing yards a game. The West Virginia running game is one of the best in the country.
Fortunately for the Cyclones, Iowa State has one of the best rush defenses in the country. The team is giving up just 138 rushing yards per game, according to team stats. The most impressive stat, however, is that the Iowa State defense has allowed just two rushing touchdowns all season.
While that unit will be tested, it should do enough to get what the Cyclones need on Saturday.
Iowa State will remain undefeated on Saturday
The Cyclones will get tested to the best of their ability on Saturday, but will ultimately win this football game. The combination of Iowa State's relentless defense, along with Rocco Becht's inspired play, will ultimately lift Iowa State football to victory.
This is truly turning into a year to remember for Iowa State. The Cyclones haven't started the year 5-0 since way back in 1980. Matt Campbell is making a strong case that he should be Big 12 Coach of the Year. Certainly, the other teams in this league are on notice that the Cyclones are as good as advertised.
Time will tell if these predictions prove correct. Iowa State and West Virginia take to the gridiron on Saturday at 8:00 Eastern. WVU is 3-2 on the season.
