Stock Up, Stock Down After WVU's 45-42 Loss To Iowa State

Stock report after the Mountaineers fall to 0-2 in Big 12 Conference play.

Oct 3, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (3) runs aways from the Iowa State Cyclones defense for a touchdown at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The West Virginia Mountaineers came up just short against the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday, as they fell 45-42 in Ames. There wasn’t a whole lot of defense played by either team, making for a truly entertaining back-and-forth contest that came down to the game's final drive.

As always, here is our weekly stock report after the Mountaineers fell to 3-2 on the 2026 season.

Stock Up:

Cam Cook

To me, this was Cam Cook’s most impressive game of the season thus far. The veteran running back averaged 7.1 yards per carry as he totaled 142 yards in the contest. Cook was running with a physicality that I had not yet seen this season. He was constantly bouncing off tackles and kept moving. The run game will continue to be the strength of the Mountaineers' offense, and Cook will continue to be the bell cow back.

Offensive Line

The Mountaineers' offensive line deserves a ton of credit for their performance today. We already talked about Cook’s efficiency with 7.1 yards per carry, but Mike Hawkins Jr. averaged 7.3 yards per carry himself. The offensive line was getting great push up front, giving their playmakers plenty of open holes. You can’t ask for much more from your offense as the Mountaineers scored 42 points, but it proved not to be enough. We shouldn’t let that take away from how well the run game was working today for West Virginia.

Stock Down:

Defense

Giving up over 40 points for the second straight week is inexcusable, especially when you consider the fact that the Cyclones came into the contest with the worst offense in the Big 12 from a yards-per-game perspective. Today, the Cyclones put up 577 total yards of offense and had their way running and passing the ball. Iowa State’s Aiden Flora ran for 212 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and threw for two more. That is not a typo; the running back did indeed throw for two touchdowns. Penalties also hurt the defense, with two pass interference calls in the end zone all but handing the Cyclones 14 points in the contest. If this is what the defense looks like against one of the worst offenses in the Big 12, it’s hard to imagine it gets much better.

Late Game Execution

With under two minutes remaining, the Mountaineers offense took the field down three points. Just a few plays later, Hawkins Jr. threw an ill-advised ball right into the arms of an Iowa State defender downfield. West Virginia was near midfield with several timeouts remaining, and did not necessarily need to push the ball downfield as they did. The call was eventually overturned, giving the Mountaineers another shot to tie or take the lead. Hawkins Jr. made a good throw to DJ Epps, who was stripped after the catch, as a Cyclones recovery effectively ended the game. All they needed to do was get into field goal range to send the game into overtime. It was curious play-calling, given how well Hawkins was moving and how close the Mountaineers were to field goal range. There was also plenty of time on the clock. I find it hard to be tough on the offense considering they put up 42 points on the road, but the late-game choices cost them a chance at overtime or a victory.