Cyclones.com — Brock Purdy threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 12 Iowa State dominated on defense in a 42-6 rout of West Virginia on Saturday to secure its first appearance in the Big 12 championship game.
The Cyclones (8-2, 8-1, No. 9 CFP) were assured a spot in the conference title game Dec. 19 when TCU finished its win over Oklahoma State about the same time as kickoff against the Mountaineers (5-4, 4-4).
Iowa State scored touchdowns on its first three possessions and finished with 483 total yards against the Big 12’s top defense while holding West Virginia to 263.
Purdy completed 20 of 23 passes and Breece Hall ran 22 times for 97 yards and caught three passes for 56 yards and a TD.
West Virginia didn’t score until Tyler Sumpter made a 32-yard field goal with 12 minutes left.
Reaching the championship game marks another milestone for fifth-year coach Matt Campbell, who took over a program that has not won a football conference title since it was the 1912 co-champion with Nebraska in the old Missouri Valley Conference.
The Cyclones will play for their first outright conference title in Arlington, Texas. Their opponent will be No. 13 Oklahoma if the Sooners beat Baylor on Saturday night or West Virginia next week. Texas would be Iowa State’s opponent if it wins at Kansas next week and Oklahoma loses twice. Iowa State beat both Oklahoma and Texas this year.
The Cyclones’ eight conference wins are the most in program history, and their 31-18 record the last four seasons is the best four-year stretch in the modern era that started in 1928.
West Virginia hosts Oklahoma Dec. 12
Iowa State will play in the Big 12 championship game Dec. 19 at Arlington, Texas.
