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The West Virginia offense put on one its best performances in recent memory, scoring touchdowns on four consecutive second half possessions to come back from a 14-point deficit and twice take a fourth quarter lead. A final possession was likely going to lead to a win or a tying field goal but ended on a lost fumble by wide receiver DJ Epps as he was fighting for extra yardage.
That was all for naught, however, as the Mountaineer defense was totally hopeless. Twice attempting to protect a fourth quarter lead they allowed Iowa State to score from 75 yards in just three plays, the touchdown coming on a 63 yard run. When given a second chance a few minutes later, the Cyclones took all of six plays to again take the lead for the final 45-42 score.
Many of us have watched WVU football for decades, and we would be challenged to find a defense as bad as the product on the field in 2026. The last six quarters have been a total disaster and embarrassment, yielding 73 points and allowing opponents to go the length of the field in "drives" of 3,3,4 and 6 plays.
There was hope that the previous performance against Oklahoma State was attributable to facing a first class offense with an NFL caliber quarterback. But Iowa State was not an elite offense, with a quarterback who had struggled against quality opponents. Yet the Cyclones had 29 first downs, 577 total yards, 45 points, and a running back who gained 212 yards.
The WVU offense is good enough to win games . The defense doesn't have to be great, but needs to be capable of stepping up to occasionally create some negative plays and force an opponent to relinquish the football without scoring. But none of that is happening in league play.
We do not know whether the problems are a lack of talent, issues with the defensive schemes being used, or both. Perhaps there can be modest improvement around the edges with schematic or personnel changes, but in the big picture players are not going to suddenly get better and it is unreasonable to learn a new or different defensive strategy in the middle of the season.
The bottom line is that an opportunity for a good season with an outstanding offense may be wasted because the roster construction of this team left it with a defense that cannot win games.
THIS SATURDAY: Against a pretty good Cincinnati team late Saturday night Arizona quarterback Noah Fufita went 25-of-37 for 284 yards, and just to show they were not one dimensional the Wildcats rushed for another 238 yards in an easy 34-7 win. Perhaps the noon (9:00 a.m. Pacific time) kickoff will cause them to start off slow but by the time the afternoon is over expect to see similar numbers. ARIZONA 48 WEST VIRGINIA 34.