Contrary to popular belief, Iowa State does have a chance to turn things around after the loss to Utah, and I've got three reasons why they can get back in the winning column against West Virginia this weekend (11 a.m., TNT). 

The reasons are: home-field advantage, a strong rushing attack, and defensive strategy. Let's break down all three. 

The Cyclones are 2-2 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play heading into the matchup, but this isn't a game where the team needs to completely reinvent itself. Iowa State already has the strength it can lean on, but the question is whether those strengths can show up for all four quarters. 

The only way Iowa State can win the game and control the line of scrimmage is if it starts with the running game and makes the defense tired.

The Cyclones have rushed for 722 yards through four games, while averaging 180.5 yards per game, and at least five yards per carry. Aiden Flora will continue to be a major contributor. He in fact leads the team with 382 rushing yards and three touchdowns. His 194-yard, two-touchdown performance against Bowling Green was a perfect example to show what this ISU run game is all about. Once it gets going, it's very tough to stop. 

The matchup against West Virginia will be an interesting one because the Mountaineers have one of the nation's best rushing attacks - averaging 294.8 rushing yards per game. 

Iowa State doesn't need  to win with one big play, but it's going to have to consistently make plays on the ground to keep themselves ahead of the chains (good clock management helps, too) to keep this Mountaineer offense off the field. 

While the run game is West Virginia's speciality, its offense has been fairly formidable through four weeks, totaling 460.5 total yards per game. Long story short, Iowa State's defense will have a tough task come Saturday. 

But Iowa State has already shown they can make opposing offenses work for every yard, too. The Cyclones are yielding just 272.5 yards per game, which ranks 26th in the country and fifth in the Big 12. Opponents are converting only 28.3 percent of their third down attempts against the Cyclones, so the third down stop could be important, especially in crucial moments when the defense needs it. 

Iowa State also has something it can rely on that doesn't show up on the stat sheet: home-field advantage. Jack Trice Stadium may not be at its full capacity of 61,500 fans on Saturday, but the folks that do show up will be as loud as ever and try to make things hard on West Virginia's offense. 

Recent success over the Mountaineers could benefit Iowa State, too. The Cyclones have won five of the last six meetings in the series, including the last three at home by an average of 23 points per game. 

Will that continue? We'll soon find out. 

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