West Virginia scored 42 points and gained 518 yards Saturday, but could not hold its last lead or protect the ball on its final possession. Iowa State won 45–42 in Ames behind Aiden Flora, who ran for 212 yards, threw two touchdown passes and scored the winning touchdown with 1:57 remaining.
Flora’s two-yard run completed a six-play, 74-yard drive after Michael Hawkins Jr. had put West Virginia in front with a 47-yard touchdown pass to DJ Epps. Iowa State’s final answer depended on more than its leading rusher: Jaylen Raynor found Cody Jackson for gains of 25 and 15 yards on the winning possession, and a pass-interference penalty moved the Cyclones to the two-yard line.
West Virginia still had a chance, but Epps lost a fumble after a reception on the ensuing possession. Iowa State recovered, and Flora’s later 11-yard run produced the first down the Cyclones needed to close the game. WV MetroNews’ live report documented both the turnover and the final first-down run. The Mountaineers fell to 3–2 and 0–2 in conference play; Iowa State moved to 1–1 in the league.
Flora’s afternoon combined three rushing touchdowns with two scores through the air. He completed both of his passes, a 46-yard touchdown to Jackson in the second quarter and a two-yard score to Vince Benetti with five seconds left before halftime. Those two throws accounted for 48 of Iowa State’s 312 passing yards and helped the Cyclones take a 21–14 lead into the break.
The lead grew to 28–14 when Flora scored on a 24-yard run early in the third quarter. West Virginia answered with Hawkins’ seven-yard rushing touchdown and Cam Cook’s nine-yard score, tying the game at 28 before the fourth quarter. Neither offense had finished finding its way to the end zone.
After Kyle Konrardy’s 35-yard field goal restored Iowa State’s lead, Cook scored from eight yards out to put West Virginia ahead 35–31. Flora immediately reversed that advantage with a 63-yard touchdown run. Iowa State’s official game-day clip shows that long run, which gave him two rushing and two passing touchdowns at that point; his winning short run came later.
