The Iowa State Cyclones are coming off a thrilling 45-42 win over the West Virginia Mountaineers and are now getting ready to face No. 8 BYU. Even though the Cyclones played well, they were not perfect, leaving a few questions as they head into the BYU game.

Here are three questions we still have about Iowa State football after their win against West Virginia.

This wouldn't be a question if it wasn't for the past two weeks. In the first three games of the season, defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit and the Iowa State defense only gave up an average of 231.7 total yards per game. The front seven set a physical tone early in the season, allowing just 80.0 rushing yards per game, and the defense held opponents to just 11 points per game.

In comparison, for the past two weeks while playing Big 12 competitions, this Cyclone defense has given up a total of 73 points and 929 yards to opposing offenses, and they have been gashed in the run game. The front seven has struggled to set edges and tackle ball carriers, allowing 205 rushing yards to Utah's backfield and 291 rushing yards to West Virginia’s.

Although they have had a step up in competition over the past two games and will be facing another step up as they face BYU on Friday, the Cyclone defense needs to play better at stopping the run, as it will be pivotal to the success of this team this season.

The play calling against West Virginia was impressive, to say the least. Offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl called a near-perfect game on offense. Iowa State controlled the clock with a  36:48 to 23:12 time of possession advantage and kept themselves ahead of the sticks. Roehl was also able to reach into his deep bag of tricks, pulling off not one but two double passes that both led to touchdowns. The Cyclones' ability to make the defense hesitate and use every blade of grass is something that needs to carry over from the game against West Virginia.

On Saturday, the Iowa State offense showed off its ability to create big plays as quarterback Jaylen Raynor was able to stretch the field against West Virginia, throwing for 264 yards and making big plays down the sidelines to players such as Cody Jackson (160 yards) and the 6-foot-5 wideout Dominic Overby (70 yards). The Cyclones had only managed seven passes of 20 or more yards in their first three games put together, but on Saturday they completed seven 20-yard passes. If Tyler Roehl and this Cyclone offense are able to build on this performance and maintain a consistent passing game, then the team could shake up the standings in the Big 12.

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