The difficult October schedule for the West Virginia football team caused quite a bit of angst. The final month, however, has provided some relief.

 

The final five games of the regular season matched West Virginia against teams with a combined 17-36 overall record, as of today.

West Virginia has taken advantage of the schedule during the past three weeks. A three game winning streak has taken the place of the four fame losing skid we saw in October. 

 

Today's opponent, Iowa State comes into the game on quite the emotional roller coaster ride. An inexplicable blown lead to Kansas State last week, served to be the final nail in the coffin for head coach Paul Rhoads. 

 

After seven seasons in Ames, Rhoads was let go on Sunday. He will still lead the team into Milan Puskar Stadium today. Expect an emotional, fired up Cyclone team. By all accounts, Rhoads was well-liked in Ames. The team just simply didn't win enough. Especially, lately.

 

Eight total wins over the last three seasons wasn't enough to warrant another season. 

 

The Cyclones have shown signs this season of being close to turning it around, however. 

They played number three Iowa close for most of the game. Iowa State was tied with the Hawkeyes until the final two minutes of the game. They had Oklahoma State on the ropes for most of the game before finally losing the lead late. And then came last week against Kansas State. 

 

After leading by a touchdown with 90 seconds remaining, Iowa State fumbled twice, gave up the game-tying touchdown and a game-winning field goal. All of that in 90 seconds. It was a devastating loss. 

 

In a results business, close isn't good enough. And so, the Cyclones come into today's game one last time under Rhoads. Given his reputation, I would expect this Iowa State team comes out fired up and ready to play.

 

However, the question is whether or not that will be enough. Iowa State is in the bottom half of the league in most statistical categories, including seventh in rush defense. 

 

That particular category wouldn't have mattered much a few years ago against a Dana Holgorsen-led offense, Oh, how times have changed. 

 

West Virginia is second in the Big 12 in rushing. The Mountaineers put up nearly 300 yards on the ground against Texas and 426 yards rushing against Kansas the last time out. This is a team that is not only run-heavy, but you could argue it's nearly run exclusive. 

 

The Mountaineers have fallen to eighth in the league in passing offense (Big 12 games only) and are completing less than 50 percent of its passes as a team during conference games. 

 

Those passing numbers have not mattered over the last three games though. When you have a running back putting up the kind of numbers Wendell Smallwood is, a passing game isn't all that necessary. 

 

Smallwood is on pace to have one of the best single season rushing performances we've ever seen at West Virginia. Smallwood has rushed for 1,234 yards so far in 2015. He only needs to average 76 yards per game over the final three games (bowl game included) to finish with the best single season rushing total for a junior in the history of the program. 

 

Today comes down to talent versus emotion. Can the Cyclones ride the emotion of Paul Rhoads' final game to an upset win on senior day at Milan Puskar Stadium? 

 

If so, it would be the second win in three seasons for Iowa State over West Virginia. 

 

Iowa State's win over West Virginia in 2013 is the Cyclones only conference road win in the last three seasons. 

 

I would be stunned if they got another one today. 

 

Editor's Note: Top photo show Nick Kwiatkowski giving it his all in the Texas game earlier, while Wendell Small (4) celebrating in the end zone has become a common sight. WVU Coach Dana Holgorsen, third photo, will see if his talent can overcome the emotion of Paul Rhoads' final game with Iowa State today in Morgantown. Photos by Ben Queen of www.benqueenphotography.com.