Iowa State football: Five takeaways from the win over West Virginia

What an offense showcase Iowa State had, scoring the most points in a game since 2010 with 52 in a triple-overtime thriller against West Virginia.

Nov 30, 2013; Morgantown, WV, USA; Iowa State Cyclones team and coaches run on the field after stopping West Virginia Mountaineers offense in overtime at Milan Puskar Stadium. Iowa State Cyclones defeated West Virginia Mountaineers 52-44 in the third overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Cyclones had a season-high of 575 total yards of offense and 26 first downs. Quarterback Grant Rohach was impressive for a second straight week. Find out more about what he did, and more in ISU’s second straight victory.

1. Grant Rohach was impressive for a second straight game.

Earlier this month, I was wondering if Rohach could even cut it as a Cyclone quarterback. Now, he’s making every critic eat crow. The freshman quarterback is night and day better than he was in his first few games. Some of that has been the easier competition, but right now he has to be considered a favorite over an injury-prone Sam Richardson for next season.

2. We’ll miss Kirby Van Der Kamp a lot.

Not only was Van Der Kamp impressive at pinning opponents deep in their territory, but he made every wacky play head coach Paul Rhoads has called for him. His punt run fake was the seventh fake attempt in his career, and he converted on every single one.

3. Quenton Bundrage is the best wide receiver since Todd Blythe.

Bundrage had his eighth and ninth touchdown receptions, which ties the single-season record with Blythe back in 2004. It’s refreshing to know that Bundrage will be back with the team next season. He’s been an impressive receiver for the Cyclones in these last two years, and he still has so much more potential.

[Also see: Iowa State-West Virginia recap]

4. Despite giving up big plays, the defense stepped up when needed.

Anybody that considers Wally Burnham’s job in jeopardy needs to watch the Cyclone defense in November. Outside of a second-half flurry by Oklahoma on the road, the defense has been better in tackling, stopping the run, and preventing constant yards after contact. Yes, West Virginia had multiple huge plays – they scored 44 points for a reason – but if it wasn’t for the defense, the offense wouldn’t have been in position to score 24 points in the fourth quarter.

5. Three is a good number for Iowa State.

The Cyclones have played in three games that ended in three overtimes, and they won all three of those games. Under Rhoads, Iowa State is 3-1 in overtime games. The school also hasn’t played overtime longer than three periods.