Cyclones Snap Skid, Beat West Virginia 31-14

AMES, Iowa – Hunter Dekkers threw two touchdown passes, the running game showed some spark and the defense dominated as Iowa State broke a five-game losing streak with a 31-14 victory over West Virginia on Saturday at MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium.

Sophomore Deon Silas and freshman Cartevious Norton both had career days running the ball and Xavier Hutchinson broke his own single-season receiving record, helping the Cyclones (4-5, 1-5 Big 12) stay in contention for a bowl bid with three games remaining.

The Cyclones' league-leading defense, meanwhile, held West Virginia (3-6, 1-5) to season lows of 200 yards, 11 first downs and forced seven three-and-outs. Iowa State also got an interception from Anthony Johnson Jr. to end another Mountaineers' possession without a first down.

West Virginia had been averaging 34.4 points and 435.8 yards coming into Saturday's contest.

Dekkers completed 24 of 36 passes for 219 yards, with touchdown throws of 16 yards to tight end DeShawn Hanika and 24 yards to Hutchinson. Hutchinson finished with 10 catches for 123 yards, running his season total to 87 receptions and topping the record of 83 he sat last year. He has caught at least eight passes in every game this season.

Silas had bursts of 38 and 33 yards – the longest runs of his career – to set up touchdowns and wound up with 77 yards in just six carries. Norton added 69 yards in 18 carries and scored the first two touchdowns of his career, runs of five and three yards in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

The Cyclones also got 27 yards from wide receiver Jaylin Noel on a reverse and Norton totaled 23 yards on three option pitches from Dekkers, including his second touchdown.

Iowa State racked up 172 yards on the ground, just four yards short of its season high.

Iowa State took a 3-0 lead on Jace Gilbert's 30-yard field goal late in the first quarter and went up 10-0 when Dekkers' TD pass to Hanika capped a 13-play, 86-yard drive, the Cyclones' longest of the season in a Big 12 game.

West Virginia drew to 10-7 at halftime on JT Daniels' 25-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Ford-Wheaton, but Iowa State kept the Mountaineers at bay after that until they tacked on a meaningless touchdown after the Cyclones had opened a 31-7 lead.

With the score still 10-7, a roughing the kicker penalty on an Iowa State punt gave the Cyclones new life and they took advantage. Silas' 38-yard run took the ball to the West Virginia 26 and two plays later, Dekkers rolled left and hit Hutchinson sprinting down the left sideline on a 24-yard scoring play.

The defense then forced a three-and-out and the offense responded again. Silas sped 33 yards to the West Virginia 17 and three plays later, Norton beat the defense to the edge on the right side for a 5-yard touchdown run.

Two straight ISU sacks forced a punt that went just 30 yards to the West Virginia 34 and the Cyclones wasted no time capitalizing. Dekkers pitched to Norton on an option to the right and the freshman took it 3 yards to the end zone for a 31-7 lead.

Will McDonald was in on the second sack, which raised his career total to 33 and tied him with former Texas A&M star Von Miller for second all-time in the Big 12. Texas Tech's Aaron Hunt is the all-time leader with 34.

Iowa State plays at Oklahoma State next Saturday, kicking off at 2:30 p.m. CST. The Cyclones return home to play Texas Tec on Nov. 19 and finished the season at TCU on Nov. 26.

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