Good Cop: Presley Polvere

After a ranked Homecoming win, the Iowa State Cyclones are headed to Morgantown, West Virginia, to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers to close out October.

Communication and offensive production are clicking for the team. Senior Xavier Hutchinson had two touchdowns on the day for the Cyclones in their win over the Cowboys. And as more players show who can produce, more opportunity to score and beat competitive opponents will rise. 

The Mountaineers are 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Big 12 Conference play. In late September, the Mountaineers took the Oklahoma Sooners to the brink, but the Sooners outlasted. 

If the defense and offense perform well right away, the Cyclones will have what it takes to score and defend against West Virginia. 

Prediction: Iowa State 30, West Virginia 20

Bad Cop: Andrew Harrington

Credit to the Cyclones as they have rebounded nicely after a less than strong start to the season, but the team still has flaws that are yet to be worked out.

Iowa State was once again exposed by the deep pass against Oklahoma State, allowing a long touchdown near the end of the first half. The secondary has surrendered four touchdown passes of 30 or more yards this season, including three over the last four weeks.

West Virginia has had an extremely up and down season so far, but coming off of a big win against Texas Christian University could provide the needed confidence to take down the now-ranked Cyclones.

The Mountaineer offense has been led by a strong attack from running backs Leddie Brown and Garrett Greene, combining for 841 yards despite Greene missing a game. Iowa State has defended the run well this season, allowing just four rushing touchdowns so far, but the balance of West Virginia could pose a challenge.

This matchup will be a high scoring one, with both teams scoring above their season averages. In the end, the defense of Iowa State will be good enough to get an important stop late, sealing a tightly contested win.

Prediction: Iowa State 35, West Virginia 33