Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Jontez Williams intercepts a pass against Baylor during the third quarter at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 11 Iowa State faces West Virginia Saturday (6:30 p.m. FOX) in its third Big 12 game of the season. Here are our staff’s picks.

Chris Williams (4-1)
Iowa State hasn’t seen the schedule that West Virginia has. I question how much heart this Oklahoma State squad the Mountaineers bullied last week was playing with. Feels like a coin-toss game. Give me the good guys. Iowa State 27, West Virginia 24

Rob Gray (4-1)
The Mountaineers’ running back duo of Jahiem White and C.J. Donaldson — along with dual-threat quarterback Garett Greene — will sap the Cyclones’ strength on the defensive side of the football, but I’m convinced that the Cyclones will continue to deploy a balanced attack offensively. Toss in Ben Brahmer, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel’s big play capabilities in the passing game — and in Noel’s case, the return game — and ISU looks to keep its dream season alive. The Cyclones do all the right things in the margins and escape Morgantown with a crucial win. Iowa State 27, West Virginia 24

Jeff Woody (5-0)
The game has the inverse feel of the Will Grier WVU game with Iowa State being the favored team. But the difference is Iowa State has the past experience of being the one doing the upsetting. WVU is going to come out flying. But there’s too consistent of a game plan for the Cyclones to keep them down for long. Iowa State comes back in the 3rd and holds on in the 4th. Iowa State 30, West Virginia 24

Connor Ferguson (5-0)
Woody took my uniform inverse deal I was going to write 500 words about so I’ll keep it somewhat brief. West Virginia hasn’t beaten a great team yet, and that version of Oklahoma State was nowhere close to one. Iowa State’s defense is able to again limit a dual threat quarterback and the Cyclones pull away late. Iowa State 29, West Virginia 20

Grant Mahoney (5-0)
I don’t know what to make of this game – I think it’s a prove it game for both teams. ISU is 5-0 but hasn’t really played a good offense, so are they for real? WVU is 3-2 and their two losses are to two undefeated teams but their 3 wins are from a 2-3 FCS team, they snuck past an abysmal 1-5 Kansas team at home, and beat a 3-3 Oklahoma State team (after a bye week), whose defense is among the worst in the country (130 out of 133) – but currently have the 4th best odds to win the conference, so are they for real? If ISU can get up early and force WVU to pass the ball, I like ISU’s chances. If WVU gets up early and they get that raucous “Coal Out” crowd behind him, ISU could suffer their first loss of the season. Iowa State 38, West Virginia 27

Jackson Pence (5-0)
This is by far Iowa State’s biggest test of the year to this point in the season. The Cyclones are the better team, but when you factor in the Mountaineers’ home-field advantage and black-out night game, this game is 50-50. I worry about the health of the Cyclones defense, especially true freshman linebacker Cael Brezina. But one thing I don’t worry about is the Iowa State offense. It still feels like they have another gear to reach. Higgins and Noel each have a long touchdown catch and the Cyclone offense stays hot. The defense will give up some points, especially on the ground, but Heacock and Co. rally late to force a turnover or two and Iowa State stays undefeated at 6-0. The last time that happened… it was 1938. Iowa State 38, West Virginia 31

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Molly Workman, from Port Matilda, Pennsylvania, has verbally committed to swim and study at the University of Virginia beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

“I’m so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Virginia! I want to give a big thanks to my family, coaches, teammates, and friends for all of their support through this process. I would also like to give a big thanks to Coach Todd, Couch Courtney, Coach Jake, and the rest of the @uvaswimdive staff for this amazing opportunity! GO HOOS 💙⚔️🧡”

Workman, the #17 recruit on our Way Too Early list of top-20 swimmers in the class of 2026, will join #9 Roos Rottink, #12 Caden Martin, and #20 Alyssa Sagle in the Cavaliers’ class of 2030.

Workman attends State College Area High School, where she is a junior. She swims club with Nittany Lion Aquatic Club and specializes mainly in sprint freestyle. She had an outstanding performance at the 2024 Pennsylvania High School 3A State Championships in March, winning both the 50 free (22.67) and 100 free (49.31) with lifetime-best times. She also earned a PB in the 50 back (25.48) leading off the medley relay.

Two weeks later, she added PBs in the 200 free (1:51.15), 50 breast (28.98), 200 breast (2:24.64), and 50 fly (25.24) at the ISCA International Senior Cup in Florida. There, she won the 50 free and 50 breast and was runner-up in the 50 back and 50 fly.

In long course, she improved her 100 free (57.66) and 200 free (2:07.25) times this summer at the Speedo Summer Championships in Irvine.

Best SCY times:

• 50 free – 22.67
• 100 free – 49.31
• 200 free – 1:51.15
• 100 fly – 55.01

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].

About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour 

Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.

FFT SOCIAL

Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster

^{FFT is a SwimSwam partner.}

Ahead of the week 7 matchup between Virginia and Louisville on Saturday at Scott Stadium, we connected with Matthew McGavic of Louisville Cardinals On SI to answer a few questions about the Cardinals and get his thoughts about this weekend’s game. Learn more about this year’s Louisville team by reading McGavic’s answers below:

1. After a good 3-0 start to the season, Louisville comes into this game having suffered back-to-back one-score losses. What’s the common denominator in those close defeats for the Cards and what do they need to do better?

Louisville just can’t stop shooting themselves in the foot. We started to see glimpses of this in their game against Georgia Tech, where they were able to win but looked pretty sloppy doing so in the process with penalties and in general clunkiness. Against Notre Dame, early turnovers put them behind the eight ball early, head coach Jeff Brohm was way too aggressive, and we started to see communication issues come up in the defense. This past weekend against SMU, this communication issues were put on full display. Routinely, SMU simply caught Louisville off guard because the defensive staff struggled to get the call in in a timely manner, and players were caught in the wrong position as a result.

2. What’s been the key to Louisville’s success passing the ball? How has Tyler Shough unlocked the potential of this receiving corps?

He is playing exactly how a seventh year quarterback is expected to. He has an incredible command and understanding of the offense, and has great physical tools at his disposal. For starters, he’s got a cannon of an arm that he’s not afraid to utilize, but also has good touch on his deep balls and has gotten much better (compared to early in his career) about just chucking into double coverage. It’s not hyperbole to say that he is probably the best thrower of the football that Louisville has had since Lamar Jackson. Additionally, he has done an exceptional job at navigating the pocket by using his legs to extend plays while keeping his eyes downfield.

3. Louisville’s defense leads the ACC in opponent third down conversions, allowing conversions on just 27% of third down attempts. How have the Cardinals been so good at getting off the field on third down?

Part of that is because Louisville’s strength on their defense is in their front seven. While the defense has certainly been imperfect, where they have done well in is in short yardage situations – which usually comes on third down. Now, if it’s third and long, Louisville has actually struggled some since they haven’t been particularly great in pass coverage at times. But their defensive lineman have done well when it comes to winning one-on-one battles against run blocking (pass blocking is a much different story), while the inside linebacking corps is great at reading and reacting to what they see in the backfield.

4. Who are the two most important players for Louisville on either side of the ball?

Offensively, it’s absolutely wide receiver Ja’Corey Brooks and running back Isaac Brown. Brooks is a former five-star prospect who began his career at Alabama, and since both him and Shough arrived on campus, they have developed an amazing chemistry. He has demonstrated multiple times that he had massive playmaking ability. As for Brown, even as a true freshman, it’s possible that he’s the fastest player on the team. He has incredible open field burners, and he is slowly starting to become more comfortable running between the tackles. He has superstar potential written all over him.

Over on defense, it’s defensive end Ashton Gillotte and cornerback Quincy Riley. The only issue is that both guys have gotten off to very slow starts. Gillotte was an All-American last season after leading the ACC in sacks with 11, but so far has just one to his name in five games. As for Riley, he led the ACC last season in passes defended last year with 15, but looked very hit-or-miss over the first three games. He’s missed the last two games with a foot injury, and it’s possible he could return this weekend.

5. What will be the biggest key for Louisville in order to come away from Charlottesville with a win on Saturday?

They absolutely have to get better when it comes to the defensive communication. On paper, this team has the talent to be one of the best defenses in the ACC. However, as previously mentioned, the coaching staff has struggled with getting the calls to the players in time, thus putting them out of position more often than they would want. If Louisville can clean this up, I feel really good about their chances.

Stat Comparison: How Virginia Stacks Up Against Louisville on Paper

Virginia Football Bowl Projections Heading Into Week 7

UVA Football: Players to Watch in Virginia vs. Louisville

UVA Football Week 7 Injury Report: Updates on Tyree, Clary, Harris & More

Virginia Football Depth Chart vs. Louisville | Takeaways, Analysis