MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Redshirt freshman Grant Rohach threw a 25- yard touchdown pass to Justin Coleman in the third overtime and Iowa State came from 24 points down to beat West Virginia 52-44 on Saturday night.
Rohach finished with four TD passes and ran for a fifth score as the Cyclones (3-9, 2-7 Big 12) finished a disappointing season with two straight wins. Rohach completed 25 of 39 passes for a season-high 331 yards.
The Mountaineers (4-8, 2-7) led 31-7 early in the second quarter but had four turnovers after halftime and ended the year with six losses in their final seven games. West Virginia couldn’t hold onto another second-half lead, the fourth time in six games that’s happened.
Iowa State forced overtime on Rohach’s 19-yard TD toss to Coleman with a minute left. The teams traded field goals in the first two overtimes.
After Rohach’s TD to Coleman in the third overtime, Rohach threw a two- point conversion pass to tight end E.J. Bibbs. Starting with the third overtime, teams are required to attempt two-point conversions after scoring touchdowns.
West Virginia advanced to the 4 on its third-overtime possession but couldn’t score. Daikeil Shorts caught Clint Trickett’s fourth-down pass short of the goal line.
Trickett’s 76-yard scoring pass to Mario Alford early in the fourth quarter gave West Virginia a 38-21 lead. But Iowa State scored the final 17 points of regulation.
Trickett completed 21 of 37 passes for 356 yards and two scores. Alford had eight catches for 215 yards. Charles Sims ran for 149 yards and two scores, but he was limited to 30 yards after halftime.
Sims became West Virginia’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2009. He finished the season with 1,095 yards.
West Virginia led 31-7 after Sims scored on a 76-yard run early in the second quarter. But the Mountaineers then went scoreless over a 25-minute stretch, allowing Iowa State to come back.
Cole Netten’s 31-yard field goal with 4:21 left in the game brought the Cyclones within 38-31.
Jacques Washington then ripped the ball from West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White at the Mountaineers 33 with 2:46 left. Rohach hit Coleman with the tying score on third down to send it into overtime.
West Virginia couldn’t get into field-goal range as time ran out in regulation.
Despite going three-and-out on its first four possessions, Iowa State outgained West Virginia 575-568.