Rob Gray

One season after two of Iowa State’s all-time great tight ends moved on to the NFL, DeShawn Hanika is making his mark. He’s notched three touchdown catches this season while emerging as a trusted red-zone target.

Iowa State totaled a Big 12 season-high 172 yards on the ground against West Virginia, which begs the question: Has a trend been established or was that swell in production merely an aberration?

Jaren Holmes, a fifth-year senior transfer from St. Bonaventure scored a game-high 23 points in Iowa State’s 88-39 season-opening pummeling of IUPUI — and the smile on his face hadn’t faded by the time he met with the media after the final horn blared.

QB Spencer Sanders missed last Saturday’s loss to Kansas and will likely be a game-time decision this Saturday

Iowa State’s Ashley Joens scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Cyclones opened the season with an 87-54 win over Cleveland State at Hilton Coliseum.

Defense still is the foundation for T.J. Otzelberger’s second edition of Iowa State men’s basketball, of course, but improved shooting also will be required if the team is to build off of last season’s stunning resurgence.

Nearly 3,000 tickets have been earmarked for Ames-area schoolchildren for the No. 8 Iowa State women’s basketball team’s season opener against Cleveland State at Hilton Coliseum.

Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock has imbued his team with a desire to nitpick, to find and fix flaws, whatever the stats — or the win-loss record — may say.

They finally finished multiple drives. They finally enjoyed a handful of good breaks. And during a dominant 31-14 triumph Saturday over West Virginia, the Iowa State Cyclones finally found themselves in the most desirable spot for the first time this Big 12 season: The win column.

The rain never stopped falling. The bad breaks for Cedar Rapids Prairie never stopped coming. And fourth-ranked and defending Class 5A state football champion Southeast Polk never relented in a 41-0 playoff quarterfinal win over the Hawks on a dreary, drizzly Friday night.

Iowa State football doesn’t have as many veterans dotting its two-deeps, but the ones who are there — including safety Anthony Johnson, linebacker O’Rien Vance, wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, defensive end Will McDonald, and a handful of others — have continued to teach a youthful roster how to improve even as positive results prove hard to come by.

Iowa State hosts West Virginia at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, hoping to snap a five-game losing streak. Here are three keys to victory for the Cyclones.

Receiver Dimitri Stanley is a second-time Iowa State football recruit who chose Colorado the first time Matt Campbell offered him a scholarship, but now is thriving in second-chance mode.

Iowa State’s search for production on the ground has been a long and frustrating one, but at least the running backs room continues to get healthier.

If last-place Iowa State is to retain hopes of salvaging the season and playing in a sixth straight bowl game, a win absolutely must come Saturday against West Virginia. Here are five Mountaineers to watch in what should be another close game.