Sep 29, 2026 · 11 min
Iowa State must solve West Virginia’s option game
DAILY CLONE: Can Iowa State slow down West Virginia's ELITE rushing attack?
West Virginia’s run-first offense tests whether Iowa State can maintain disciplined assignments and finish tackles before the Mountaineers control the game.
- 1West Virginia’s offense stresses every defender with dive, quarterback, and pitch options built around Michael Hawkins and Cam Cook.
- 2Jimmy Rogers traces Iowa State’s tackling problems to poor finishes, over-pursuit, bad angles, and uncertainty about assignments.
- 3An early Iowa State lead could force West Virginia away from its preferred ground game and field-position approach.
Don't miss
Jimmy Rogers identifies missed tackles as a compound problem of poor finishes, over-pursuit, bad angles, and assignment uncertainty.
The brief
Jake Brend frames West Virginia’s offense around Cam Cook’s downhill running and Michael Hawkins’ dual-threat presence, making option discipline Iowa State’s central defensive test.
Jimmy Rogers explains that stopping the dive, quarterback, and pitch requires correct eyes, inside-out tackling, leverage, and a firm edge rather than reckless pursuit.
The conversation connects Iowa State’s recent tackling struggles against Utah to poor finishes, bad angles, over-pursuit, and players overthinking their assignments.
Rogers describes how teams now rehearse leverage, eye placement, wrap-ups, and contact technique with less live tackling, making practice precision especially important.
The strategic counter is offensive: an early Iowa State lead could make West Virginia abandon its preferred run-heavy, field-position-oriented style.
Featuring
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