Iowa State vs. West Virginia Preview: Memories from an ‘Unprofessional Fan’

Let’s just get this out of the way. I don’t much care for West Virginia football. And that’s what makes me love this series.

Iowa State and West Virginia became conference foes in 2012 thanks to multiple years of conference realignment dominoes that resulted in longtime conference members leaving for what they felt were greener pastures, and the Big 12 snatching up TCU and West Virginia to stay relevant. 

From the get-go, West Virginia felt like an outlier. Morgantown is a thirteen-and-a-half-hour drive from Ames, which is its closest in-conference destination. (The University of Cincinnati is set to join the Big 12, which will become the closest Big 12 school to West Virginia.) 

In a weird way, the Mountaineers became a natural rival to Iowa State. The Cyclones were the northern-most school in the conference, somewhat an outlier themselves geographically (along with the Kansas schools) after Missouri and Nebraska left. The weekend after Thanksgiving is often reserved for rivalry games, and for the first few years of the matchup the Big 12 elected to match up Iowa State and West Virginia that weekend. Perhaps my favorite coincidence of this new series was that Jack Trice Stadium and West Virginia’s Milan Puskar Stadium were copies of each other. The stadiums opened five years apart and were designed by the same architect. Recent renovations to both have made them look a little different from each other, but I remember watching a West Virginia game in the mid-2000s and thinking the stadium looked exactly like Iowa State’s stadium.

It seemed to me that we might as well embrace West Virginia as a makeshift rival, and it seemed the teams embraced that as well. In their first-ever matchup in 2012 at Jack Trice Stadium, the story goes that West Virginia star Geno Smith shoved then-Iowa State defensive coordinator Wally Burnham. Wally’s son, Shane, came to his dad’s defense, and Cyclone linebacker Jake Knott tweeted after the game that Smith’s actions were “classless.” Unfortunately, West Virginia gained the upper-hand in the series with a 31-24 win.

Further fueling this burgeoning rivalry was the fact that West Virginia was led by Dana Holgorsen at the time. I think most Iowa State fans would agree that Holgorsen, an Iowa native himself, was easy to dislike. There was just something about him. 

In 2013, things got weird again. I watched the game with my great aunt and great uncle, again during the weekend after Thanksgiving. Iowa State had struggled through a 2-9 season so far. West Virginia was 4-7. Neither team was going to a bowl game; both were just playing for pride. One could have been forgiven for thinking Iowa State had no pride left when West Virginia jumped out to a 31-7 lead in the second quarter. Almost nobody would have given the Cyclones much of a chance to win at that point. Except my great uncle, who repeatedly said “I think they can come back.” 

Having watched the Cyclones all season, I did not agree with him. But they did begin a comeback, cutting the lead to 31-21 early in the fourth quarter. On the first play of the next possession, West Virginia’s Clint Trickett connected on a 76-yard touchdown pass to Mario Alford to give the Mountaineers a 38-21 lead and break my spirit. That’s it, I thought. 

My great uncle wasn’t ready to give up, and neither were the Cyclones. ISU quarterback Grant Rohach led Iowa State on a 72-yard drive to cut the lead to 38-28. Iowa State forced a fumble, and a Cole Netten field goal with 4:21 left made it 38-31. I was now starting to believe just a little bit. “I think they can win,” my great uncle said. 

On the next possession, Iowa State forced a third-and-ten play, during which Trickett threw an interception to Iowa State’s Jacques Washington. “YES!” I yelled, truly excited about this game for the first time all day. The Cyclones took only five plays to tie the game at 38-38. Somehow, this game was headed for overtime. 

Iowa State got the ball first in overtime, and was forced to kick a field goal after only three plays. Netten nailed the kick from 40-yards out, but I was worried. Conventional wisdom says it is a win for the defense to force a field goal attempt in overtime. A West Virginia touchdown would win it. Instead, Iowa State only allowed the Mountaineers to gain one yard, and forced West Virginia to kick a field goal to tie it.

In the second overtime, West Virginia started with the ball and immediately gained a first down, but was forced to settle for a 26-yard field goal. This was a victory for Iowa State’s defense, until…the Cyclones faced 4th-and-three from the 8-yard line. Netten lined up for a 26-yard kick, a kick he should have been expected to easily make. I, however, had seen Iowa State lose like this before, and I wasn’t quite confident. I was wrong again. Netten made the kick to tie the game at 44 and bring it to a third overtime. 

Finally, one team was able to break into the endzone, and luckily that team was Iowa State. Rohach found Justin Coleman for a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first play to take the lead, and then found E.J. Bibbs for a two-point-conversion attempt. Iowa State took a 52-44 lead. West Virginia would need to answer to keep the game going. 

It looked like they would do just that after the Mountaineers set themselves up for a 1st-and-goal from the 3-yard-line. Iowa State stopped a run, broke up a pass, and stopped another run to force fourth down. Trickett threw it toward the endzone, where it looked like a sure Iowa State interception… until it was tipped in the air (I held my breath)… and it was caught by a West Virginia receiver (I still held my breath)… who was immediately tackled at the 2-yard line by Deon Broomfield (exhale). An unpredictable game deserved an unpredictable ending. Iowa State had improbably completed a 24-point comeback to win in three overtimes. The television feed showed head coach Paul Rhoads jumping up and down with his fist in the air as the team ran onto the field in celebration. “You were right,” I told my great uncle. 

Rhoads had become well-known for his passionate locker room speech, the two-most famous being at Nebraska in 2009 when he said he was “so proud” to be the team’s coach, and after the biggest upset in school history over Oklahoma State in 2011. This one against West Virginia got posted to social media, and I could feel the same passion. It was an essentially meaningless game to end a 3-9 season, but it meant something to Rhoads, and it still means something to me.

The games from 2014 through 2016 did not move the needle much as Iowa State was struggling in a stretch of losing seasons. The 2017 game was the first in which now-Iowa State coach Matt Campbell really got things turned around, but the Cyclones lost a close game at West Virginia. 

2018 gave us the defining moment in the new rivalry (at least from an Iowa State perspective), one of the great moments of Campbell’s tenure as coach, and one of the most fun games I have ever witnessed in person. And it took the dislike to another level.

West Virginia entered the game undefeated at 5-0 and ranked number six in the country. It was led by senior quarterback Will Grier, a Heisman Trophy candidate. Iowa State was 2-3 on the season. It had been a weird start to the season for the Cyclones. Their first game against South Dakota State was cancelled due to lightning around the stadium. That was the only time I could remember an Iowa State game being cancelled due to weather, (and that includes the 2005 Colorado game when a tornado touched down in Ames before kickoff). Iowa State had lost to Iowa and Oklahoma to begin the season as it tried to find its footing, and then started 1-3 after a loss at TCU. Quarterback Brock Purdy got into game five against Oklahoma State and led the Cyclones to an upset road win the week before facing West Virginia. There was some excitement among the fans that we had our quarterback of the future and that the team was going to hit its stride just in time to challenge the Mountaineers. 

The game was scheduled for a nice October evening. The day felt a little different than normal because the grass tailgate lots we normally parked in were closed due to too much rain in the days before the game. We instead went to Welch Ave. Station in Ames’ Campustown area and ordered pitchers and pizza while we took in other games during the day. 

The stadium that night also felt a little bit different. There was anticipation in the air in addition to a slight fall chill. The crowd believed the team could pull an upset. The crowd wanted the upset. We had a sense that this could be a memorable evening. 

On Iowa State’s second possession, Purdy, making his first official start, threw an interception. West Virginia scored four plays later to take a 7-0 lead. Oh no, I thought. We are losing early and the freshman quarterback made a critical mistake. This could be ugly. Instead, Purdy and Iowa State running back David Montgomery took the Cyclones down the field in just six plays, capped by a touchdown pass to Hakeem Butler to tie the game at 7-7, and then scored again near the end of the first quarter to go up 13-7. The extra point was no good, but on that night it wouldn’t be a problem.

On West Virginia’s next possession, I began to notice a trend. Grier was sacked for a loss of 12 yards. It was Iowa State’s third sack of the game on Grier, and the star quarterback seemed flustered. Iowa State got the ball back and scored again to go up 20-7, then sacked Grier for the fourth time on the next possession. The crowd definitely believed in Iowa State’s upset possibility now. 

Shortly before halftime, West Virginia blocked an Iowa State field goal attempt and returned it for a touchdown to make it 20-14. Some days this would have been backbreaking to Iowa State, but not that night. 

Nobody scored in the third quarter (Iowa State missed a field goal, which, quite honestly I had forgotten how much actually went wrong that could have lost Iowa State the game). On Iowa State’s first drive of the fourth quarter, Purdy, Montgomery and Butler again got Iowa State into scoring range, where Purdy found Deshaunte Jones for a 32-yard touchdown pass. The ensuing two-point-conversion made it 28-14. 

Back in the Kansas game recap, I described the “Juicy Wiggle” song and how it came to life this night. The crowd began to dance with cell phone lights flashing. It was one of the coolest things I had ever witnessed. The two-touchdown lead, and the good vibes from Juicy Wiggle, made it feel like our night. On West Virginia’s next possession, Grier was sacked by Marcel Spears Jr. on second down (the sixth of what would be seven sacks of Grier on the night). At this point I was jumping up and down, yelling uncontrollably (not unlike during last week’s Oklahoma State game when Will McDonald forced back-to-back sacks). Everyone in the stadium seemed to have a similar reaction. The next play, with the crowd roaring, Grier threw an interception to D’Andre Payne. Every few years it seems there is a moment at Jack Trice Stadium where the defense makes a play, the crowd cheers them off the field, and it truly feels like we are one. They are playing for us, and we are cheering like crazy for them. This was one of those moments. (Again, similar to last week’s win over Oklahoma State.)

For good measure, Iowa State forced Grier into a safety on West Virginia’s next possession to wrap up a 30-14 win. 

As time was winding down, I turned to Paige, my now-wife, then-fiancé. “Do you want to go on the field?” I asked. I had been part of field rushes a couple times after big wins. The year prior, in the 2017 win against TCU that elicited a field rush by the fans, I decided to watch from the upper deck. On this night against West Virginia, I was content either way. Paige, however, had never gotten to go on the field, so we decided to make our way down.

The final seconds ticked off, and the two of us joined thousands of others entering the field to celebrate. College sports provide a unique opportunity for fans and students to celebrate with players after a big win in a way that just doesn’t happen in the pros (and many colleges and conferences are now trying to limit it). It was a magical moment, singing our victory song, Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and basking in an upset win. (I need to clarify for a moment: I wrote most of this chapter well before Iowa State’s 2021 game against Oklahoma State, but the feelings from both games at Jack Trice Stadium were very comparable. I didn’t plan for it to work out this way — how could I? — but it worked out just right.)

One person, however, did not think the field rush of 2018 was so great. The ever-unlikable (in our eyes, at least) Dana Holgorsen was still feeling sour two days later, when he told reporters “It was unprofessional.” He said the players felt unsafe with so many fans streaming onto their playing surface. (Campbell, for his part, didn’t seem to feel that way.)

I found the statement a bit ridiculous. What does it even mean to be an unprofessional fan? Are there professional fans? How do I get that job? College football fans have celebrated on the field with their teams countless times in the history of the game, and rarely did anyone, particularly an opposing coach, seem to complain all that much. The Big 12, however, agreed with Holgorsen’s assessment and fined Iowa State University $25,000. I’m pretty sure more than 25,000 Iowa State fans would have donated a dollar each to cover the cost. Cyclone Fanatic had a little fun with the situation, printing t-shirts that said “Unprofessional Fan” and “Publicly Reprimanded.” Although I didn’t purchase a shirt, I’ll still wear the label of being an unprofessional fan. 

(Which begs another question: Does writing a book about being a fan of a team make me a professional fan? Such a conundrum.)

Part of me was sad to see Holgorsen leave West Virginia after the season. The dislike between the programs seemed to dissipate a bit. The Cyclones took advantage of West Virginia rebuilding in 2019 and 2020 and dispatched of the Mountaineers rather easily both years. The lasting memory of the 2019 game was Cyclone running back Breece Hall breaking out for the first time, rushing for 132 yards and three touchdowns, and earning his spot as the Cyclones’ starter ever since. In 2020, Iowa State wrapped up an 8-1 conference season in what would have been a celebratory atmosphere at Jack Trice Stadium, if only social distancing protocols weren’t in effect. 

At the beginning of this section, I wrote that I didn’t much care for West Virginia football, and that’s true. At the same time, I love that it’s a game that gets my blood boiling just a little bit. I want Iowa State to beat them, and I’m a little more upset with a loss to West Virginia than most other teams on the schedule. Coincidentally, the same is true for the series in men’s basketball, which has developed into a nice little rivalry of its own. This is part of what makes sports fun.  

Besides, I’m able to compartmentalize it. I’ll generally cheer for the Mountaineers when they play nonconference games and bowl games. I have also heard that a game at Milan Puskar Stadium is a lot of fun. The fans are passionate (not sure if they’re professional, but I’ll find out), and also friendly to away fans. It sounds like a tremendous atmosphere in which to take in a college football game. 

This year, it’s Iowa State that will be on upset alert. The Cyclones are back in the top 25 after the important win over Oklahoma State. West Virginia has been up and down to begin the season. The Mountaineers pulled off a dramatic upset of then #15 Virginia Tech in September, making a goal line stop to seal the victory at home. (In the time since, Virginia Tech has struggled.) The next week, West Virginia took Oklahoma down to the wire in Norman before losing 16-13, leading me to believe maybe West Virginia had a team capable of competing for a spot in the conference championship game. Instead, the Mountaineers then had a disappointing stretch, losing at home to Texas Tech and getting blown out by Baylor on the road. Last week, however, West Virginia got a somewhat surprising road win at TCU. 

The Mountaineers are now 3-4, but I’m guessing they see Saturday as an opportunity to pull off an upset and turn their season around. 

For Iowa State, this has the potential to be a trap game. The Cyclones are coming off an emotional win, and have another much-anticipated game at Jack Trice Stadium next time out against Texas. It can be human nature to have a tough time getting ready for this type of game. Saturday’s weather calls for rain, which sometimes has a way of evening out the game not to mention dampening spirits. I’m sure the crowd will be loud, which will provide a challenge to Iowa State after last week’s boisterous home crowd that carried the Cyclones to the win. 

For these reasons, this is actually about most worried I have felt about a game all season going into it. 

On the flip side, Iowa State is somewhat built to win this type of game. From a mental standpoint, Campbell’s “win in the dark” and “trust the process” mantras should carry over to a game like this. Iowa State’s senior quarterback Brock Purdy is playing the best football of his career and Iowa State proved at Kansas State that it can take the air out of an opposing team’s stadium with solid defense and consistent offense that picks up third down conversions. 

Heading into the Baylor game, I wrote that Iowa State needed to win that type of game if it was going to have the special season it (and really, I) was hoping for. I had underestimated how good Baylor was at the time; it turned out to be an understandable loss that Iowa State could overcome in the conference title race. We now have the benefit of having seen more games, and I feel confident in saying this West Virginia game is the type of game Iowa State needs to win if it is going to have a special season and compete for a conference championship. 

I’m nervous, but as I’ve reminded myself before, I also need to enjoy the journey. That’s what unprofessional fans do.