West Virginia @ Iowa State preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 30, 2013 ) Iowa State 52, West Virginia 44

As West Virginia prepares to wind up its regular season with a visit to Iowa State on Saturday, both head coaches had to address questions of whether their respective teams have waved the white flag. Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen dismissed that notion following a three-game losing streak that knocked West Virginia out of Big 12 Conference title contention. "Effort has never been the problem," Holgorsen said. "These guys played with effort. They’re not going to quit. We’re not going to quit."

The Cyclones are assured of missing a bowl game for the second straight season and the immediate goal is to avoid going winless in conference play. With Iowa State mired in a four-game losing streak following last week's narrow home loss to Texas Tech, coach Paul Rhoads also was asked if he thought his squad had given up on the season. "I think that if that would have been the case, it would have shown in the past game," Rhoads said. "It would have shown, especially when we were down 14-0 but it didn't ,and it would have shown in their attitudes around the dining hall in the last day and the training room."

TV: Noon ET, Fox Sports 1. LINE: None

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (6-5, 4-4 Big 12): The Mountaineers could be without starting quarterback Clint Trickett, who suffered a concussion in last week's 26-20 home loss to No. 11 Kansas State and must be medically cleared. Junior college transfer Skyler Howard acquitted himself well in relief of Trickett last week, throwing for 198 yards and a pair of second-half touchdowns to rally West Virginia from a 14-point halftime deficit. "I was extremely happy with how he went in there and the spark that he gave us," Holgorsen said of Howard, who would be making his first career start. "You can clearly see that things are starting to click for him."

ABOUT IOWA STATE (2-8, 0-7): Sam B. Richardson threw for over 300 yards for the third time in his last four starts in last week's 34-31 loss and his two touchdown passes left him four shy of tying the school single-season record of 20 with two games left. "Obviously a cool thing, but I don't think about it much," said Richardson while taking note of the bigger picture. "Honestly, I think we should have had a lot more (success) this season. I think our expectations are a lot higher than that." The Cyclones are a sieve on defense, surrendering 37.4 points per game, and have yet to hold a conference foe to fewer than 32 points.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Mountaineers WR Kevin White, who is two catches shy of 100 for the season, ranks among the top five nationally in receptions per game (8.9), receiving yards (1,270) and receiving yards per game (120.7).

2. Iowa State outlasted West Virginia 52-44 in three overtimes last season to even the series at one game apiece.

3. The Mountaineers have been held to a combined 36 points the past two games after setting a school record with eight straight 30-point games.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 33, Iowa State 31