Do you like meaningless stats, trends, and talking points? I do. So much so that I’m going to bring a handful to you each week this football season in a blurb titled “Cy the Numbers” because the best way to introduce pointless stats is with corny puns. Check back each week for updated stats and trends, and remember not to use any of this as betting advice because I’m sure to be sued if you did.

Team Trends

• Opponent
  • Iowa State is 2-2 against West Virginia in the Matt Campbell era, winning the last two in the series.
  • The Mountaineers lead the overall series 5-3.
  • The Cyclones have held the West Virginia offense to under 200 total yards in each of the last two matchups.
• Time/date/weather
  • The Cyclones went undefeated in the month of November (3-0) for the first time since 1989 (3-0). The Cyclones have won 5 of their last 6 games in November.
  • The Cyclones are 2-2 in the month of December in the Campbell era. This will be the first regular season game in December since defeating Drake 27-24 on December 1, 2018.
  • The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT. Iowa State is 9-7 in early afternoon kickoffs under Campbell.
  • The game will aired on ESPN. The Cyclones are 1-5 on ESPN in the Campbell era, with the lone win coming against West Virginia last season.
• Uniforms
  • The Cyclones will be wearing all-black uniforms in their season finale. Iowa State is 5-0 in the all-black combination, including 2-0 this season (Oklahoma, Kansas State).

Embed from Getty Images

Record Watch

• Running back Breece Hall was held under 100 yards rushing for the first time all season against Texas, amassing 91 yards and scoring the game-winning touchdown.
• Hall ranks 1st nationally in 100-yard games (8), multi-touchdown games (6), rushes of 50+ yards (4), and first down rushes (60). He ranks 2nd nationally in six other categories, including points scored (102) and rushing touchdowns (16). He ranks 1st in the Big 12 in 14 categories.
• Hall has just one fumble in 424 career touches.
• Running back and kick returner Kene Nwangwu currently ranks 1st in school history in career kickoff return average (27.1 yards per return) and is 3rd nationally this season in kickoff return average (31.0 ypr).
• Linebacker Mike Rose is having one of the best seasons by a linebacker in the nation. He currently leads the nation in interceptions (4), graded the 3rd best linebacker in run defense by PFF, and 18th best linebacker in total defense. He also ranks 8th nationally in tackles for loss among linebackers.
• Quarterback Brock Purdy has continued his rise this season, passing for 300+ yards against Texas and leading his sixth 4th-quarter comeback of his career. In his last 9 quarters of play, he is 50-of-68 (76.5%), 656 yards, 7 touchdown passes, 0 interceptions, and 123 rushing yards.
• Purdy is 21-10 as the starting quarterback for the Cyclones, tied for the most wins by a quarterback in school history. His 18 conference wins are already the most by a Cyclone quarterback.
• Defensive lineman Latrell Bankston earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Texas. The big man recorded two critical sacks, the second of which was on the second-to-last play of the game, pushing the Longhorns into very long field goal range and forcing a missed field goal to win the game.

Random Ramblings

• The Cyclones defeated the #20 Texas Longhorns 23-20 last week, marking the first time in school history Iowa State beat both Oklahoma and Texas in the same season.
• Iowa State will play in its 8th game as a ranked team this season against West Virginia, breaking the previous school record of 7 (2002, 1978, 1972). Iowa State is 8-3 when playing as a ranked team at home under Campbell. They are also 8-3 when ranked and playing an unranked team.
• The Cyclones now have 8 wins against ranked teams under Matt Campbell, 4 of those coming on the road.
• Iowa State moved into the CFP Rankings top-10 for the first time in school history, ranking No. 9. The Cyclones have only been ranked in the top-10 of a poll once before, when the 2002 team ranked No. 9 in the AP Poll for a week in October.
• The Cyclones broke the school record for league wins in a season (7) and have clinched at least a share of the title. With a win over West Virginia, Iowa State can secure its spot in the Big 12 title game for the first time in school history.
• Iowa State’s tight end group of Charlie Kolar, Chase Allen, and Dylan Soehner currently ranks 1st in yards (789) and receptions (60) by a tight end unit in the FBS.