West Virginia
Iowa State football opponent preview: Loaded West Virginia offense will test Cyclones
Dual-threat quarterback Garrett Greene among key players back from 9-win season
Editor’s note: Sixth in a 12-part series previewing each of Iowa State’s 2024 regular-season opponents.
AMES — West Virginia football coach Neal Brown not only saved his job, but also established goodwill after guiding the Mountaineers to their first season featuring nine wins or more since 2016.
West Virginia is poised to build off of that in 2024 — and will get to face Matt Campbell’s Cyclones in Morgantown.
The Mountaineers are loaded on offense. Dual-threat quarterback Garrett Greene (29 total touchdowns, four interceptions) returns, as do top running backs C.J. Donaldson and Jaheim White. That duo combined for 1,640 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns last season, making it one of the most potent in the Big 12 — although Donaldson has been injury-prone. Greene led West Virginia in rushing touchdowns with 13 last season, but he completed just 53 percent of his passes.
West Virginia must replace leading receiver Devin Carter, but the addition of Oklahoma State’s Jaden Bray via the transfer portal — along with a long list of talented returners — should help in that regard.
The Mountaineers’ offensive line is one of the best units in the Big 12. Senior tackle Wyatt Milum is the program’s lone preseason all-conference selection by the media.
So does West Virginia have a weakness? Possibly. The defense needed to rebuild at cornerback via the transfer portal and was middling last season (64th in scoring defense nationally, 68th in total defense). The Mountaineers led the league in sacks last season with 33 and should boast a strong pass rush again.
Iowa State vs. West Virginia: 3 things to watch
1. Can the Cyclones’ offense achieve balance? West Virginia’s defense was marginally better against the run than the pass last season and features playmakers at each level. ISU will need a blend of solid runs from Abu Sama and company and big passing connections from Rocco Becht and his cohort of pass catchers in order to keep up on the scoreboard.
2. How will ISU’s defense contain Greene? The Mountaineers are adept at springing big plays in the run game, so keeping Greene off balance will be critically important if the Cyclones want to have a chance to win this one. His inaccuracy through the air is offset by his efficiency (16 passing touchdowns to just four interceptions last season). Staying gap sound while still applying a strong pass rush will be key, as Greene is capable of breaking off runs of 10 yards or more frequently.
3. How does ISU’s defensive line find a way to thrive? The Cyclones are deep up front on the defensive side of the ball, but stars must emerge from that group. Seniors such as Joey Peterson and J.R. Singleton may be poised to take that next step, as are juniors Tyler Onyedim and Domonique Orange. Sprinkle in talented transfer edge rusher Kenard Snyder and others (including redshirt freshman Zaimir Hawk), and ISU’s D-line should at least hold its own against West Virginia’s burly offensive front.
Iowa State vs. West Virginia: 2024 prognosis
This matchup will likely come down to a key series or two. The team that commits the fewest turnovers will win in a game that should remain close into the final minutes.
Comments: robgray18@icloud.com
Losing to Kansas State wiped away all hope for West Virginia to make the NCAA Tournament. That seems to be the clear consensus in the Mountain State, but is there actually still a chance? Well, I guess so.
ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi still has West Virginia listed as a team to consider, the second team outside of the “next four out” grouping.
Lunardi’s current NCAA Tournament bubble
Last Four Byes: Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas, Ohio State
Last Four In: SMU, Santa Clara, New Mexico, Indiana
First Four Out: VCU, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati
Next Four Out: San Diego State, USC, California, Seton Hall
Next: Stanford, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona State
How is this even possible?
Short answer? I don’t really know.
My best guess as to why? Two things: the respect for the Big 12 and the opportunities left on the table, and two, an incredibly weak bubble.
Should West Virginia beat UCF on Friday, it will give the Mountaineers a 9-9 record in Big 12 play. That’s not as much of a guarantee to make the dance as having a winning record, but still, it’s an impressive mark, especially when, in this instance, they would have wins over Kansas, BYU, and sweeps over Cincinnati and UCF.
If you ask me, they still have too many bad losses for it to matter. I mean, even if they got red-hot out of nowhere and made it to the Big 12 championship game next week, is that enough? Potentially, but that’s a big IF.
The one thing WVU does have on its side is the number of Quad 1 wins, which they have five of. Virtually every other team in college basketball that has a minimum of five Quad 1 victories is expected to make the tournament. In that previously mentioned scenario, they would add at least one more Quad 1 win in the conference tournament, giving the committee something to think about.
The bubble is just incredibly weak, though. Like, how in the world is Auburn, who is 16-14 currently, the second team out of the field? Cincinnati, which WVU swept and has the same record as, is the fourth team in the “first four out” grouping.
At this point, the only path I see is for the Mountaineers to cut down the nets in Kansas City — good luck with that. We could be having a very different conversation if they didn’t lallygag their way through the first 30 minutes of the games against Utah and Kansas State.
Buckle up, Upshur County. Starting Friday, March 6, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will step up seatbelt enforcement as part of a statewide Click It or Ticket campaign running through March 23.
The West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program (GHSP) announced the high-visibility mobilization as a warm-up to the national seatbelt campaign in May. The goal is to ensure every occupant — front seat or back, driver or passenger — is buckled on every trip.
“During this mobilization, law enforcement officers across West Virginia will be out in full force. They will be strictly ticketing drivers who are unbuckled or who are transporting children not properly restrained in car seats,” said Jack McNeely, Director of the GHSP.
The numbers behind the campaign are sobering. In 2023, 40% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in West Virginia crashes were unrestrained. The state’s seatbelt usage rate has also slipped — from 91.9% in 2024 to 91.6% in 2025.
Rural drivers face elevated risk despite a common assumption that country roads are safer. In 2023, 65% of the state’s traffic fatalities occurred in rural areas, compared to 35% in urban centers.
Under West Virginia law, wearing a seatbelt is required. A citation carries a $25 fine, though McNeely says the real point isn’t the penalty.
“Click It or Ticket isn’t about the citations; it’s about saving lives,” he said. “A ticket is a wake-up call. It is far less expensive than the alternative — paying with your life or the lives of your family and friends.”
For more information about the West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program, visit highwaysafety.wv.gov or call 304-926-2509.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WCHS) — A West Virginia man accused of threatening to attack President Donald Trump and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement workers was federally indicted this week.
Cody Lee Smith, 20, of Clarksburg was indicted on two counts of threats to murder the president, one count of influencing and retaliating against federal officials by threat of murder and one count of influencing a federal official by threat of murder, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia.
Smith is accused of making a series of public posts on Instagram encouraging and threatening the murder of Trump, those who support him, Israelis and “all government officials,” the news release said.
The indictment also alleges that Smith sent a direct message via Instagram to Donald J. Trump, Jr., stating he would kill his father by cutting his “jugular.”
In a phone call with the ICE tip line, Smith also threatened to kill ICE agents in Clarksburg and employees staffing the tip line.
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Smith faces up to 5 years for each of the presidential threat charges and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts.
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