In a high-scoring thriller at Jack Trice Stadium, the Iowa State Cyclones secured a huge win in their second Big 12 game of the season, beating the West Virginia Mountaineers, 45–42. The Cyclones now go to 3-2 on the season and get their first conference win of the Jimmy Rogers era.

Here are our position grades from Iowa State's first Big 12 win of the season:

Quarterback Jaylen Raynor had an efficient game against West Virginia as he was able to keep the passing attack moving cleanly. Raynor finished the game with a season-high 264 passing yards and a 70.4% completion percentage while also throwing a touchdown that came from a 20-yard pass to Omari Hayes. Raynor was also able to use his legs in key situations to extend plays and keep the Cyclones ahead of the sticks.

The ground attack wore down West Virginia, averaging 5.8 yards per carry, and anchored a dominant 36:48 to 23:12 time-of-possession advantage. Running back Aiden Flora had a dominant showing on the ground with only 22 carries; Flora ran for 212 yards (9.6 YPC) and three rushing touchdowns: one from 24 yards, an explosive 63-yard score, and the game-winning two-yard score with 1:57 remaining in the fourth quarter while down four.

I almost put him with the quarterbacks too, as Flora also got involved in the passing game, not receiving but throwing two touchdowns, with one being a 46-yard double pass touchdown to Cody Jackson and the other being a two-yard pitch-and-pop touchdown to Vince Benetti.

The pass catchers had a good game as well, led by receiver Cody Jackson. Jackson had six catches for a game-high 160 receiving yards, averaging 26.7 yards per catch, and scored 1 touchdown, with that touchdown coming from the 46-yard double pass from Flora. Dominic Overby had a good game as well and should be someone to keep an eye on this season. The 6-foot-5 receiver had three catches for 70 yards in this one. 

The Iowa State offensive line controlled the trenches all game, climbing to the second level and creating space for the backs. This led the Cyclones to tally 265 yards on the ground and average of 5.8 yards per carry. They also showed out in the passing game, as they yielded just two sacks on 29 pass attempts. 

The Cyclone defense had another tough game against West Virginia, giving up 518 yards and 42 points. West Virginia’s Cam Cook ran for 142 yards and scored twice, while quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. added 149 rushing yards and two touchdowns of his own. The tackling problems that showed up against Utah were still an issue here, and they could become a bigger concern as the season goes on.

The Cyclone special teams unit had a good day. Kicker Kyle Konrardy went a perfect 1-for-1 on field goals, with the one being a 35-yard FG in the 4th quarter to take a 31–28 lead. Konrardy was also perfect on extra points, going 6-for-6. Punter Jonah DuPont had a good day as well, hitting five punts for 223 total yards (44.6 yards per punt), with two of those punts going for over 50 yards.

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