Things will be different on the field in Austin, Texas, on Saturday.

Iowa State (3-4, 1-2 in Big 12) will take on its third ranked opponent for the third-straight week in No. 22 Texas (4-2, 2-1), but the Longhorns are unlike the past two top-10 ranked opponents.

“The defense is outstanding,” said coach Paul Rhoads. “Last I saw, they were fourth in the country in total defense, and they back that up.”

Texas’ trademark during the 2010 season has been its outstanding defense, while the Cyclones’ last two opponents — No. 9 Utah and No. 3 Oklahoma — have relied on high-flying offenses.

The fourth-ranked Texas defense yields just 235 yards per game and has racked up 17 sacks through six games.

“They’re fast, they’re sound,” said assistant coach Thomas Herman. “They try to confuse you as well as be athletic. That’s a tough combination.”

To battle a talented Texas team, the Cyclones will be starting a few new faces at different positions. One of the fresher faces on the field, receiver Darius Reynolds, is a guy the ISU offense has tried to look to for big-play tries in the past, and will likely get a chance for such plays Saturday.

Herman said the Texas defense plays a lot of man-to-man coverage on the outside, which could open up some opportunities for ISU receivers to make plays.

“It’s going to be pretty much one-on-one, me and the corner on an island,” Reynolds said. “Hopefully I can take advantage of that.”

Reynolds will be new to the starting lineup Saturday, taking the spot previously occupied by junior Sedrick Johnson.

Johnson has struggled with drops in practice — “the drop bug,” Herman said, has been a bit common among the ISU receiving corps — and has 14 catches for 94 yards this season.

Reynolds, meanwhile, said he’s been working harder in practice, which has led to getting the chance to prove himself on the field and has brought out the physical traits that excite his coaches.

“He’s got really good ball skills,” Herman said. “He adjusts to the ball maybe as well as anybody we have, and he’s faster than you think.”

Reynolds played quarterback in high school and during his first season at California’s Reedley Community College. He’s in his second season playing in Herman’s system as a wide receiver — although he missed much of last season with a broken leg — and has started to learn more about playing the receiver position.

Herman is hoping that getting the junior on the field will stimulate the ISU offense, a unit that has struggled to gain just 305 yards per game, 11th in the Big 12.

“We certainly need a kick start,” Herman said. “We should be at the point where we’re able to at least be competitive scoring points.”

Getting the offense in a rhythm against Texas’ fourth-ranked defense will be a challenge, though.

The Longhorns have allowed just 18.8 points per game this season, and in their four wins, haven’t allowed an opponent to score more than 17.

But, while the Texas defense has been punishing opponents, its offense has been far less imposing than in past seasons.

The Longhorns’ 81st-overall offense is underwhelming, and sophomore quarterback Garrett Gilbert has looked lost and out of place at times.

However, a down year for the Texas offense has still included two 34-point out-bursts, and the team’s season-low offensive output — 271 total yards — came in a 20-13 win over then-fifth-ranked Nebraska.

The Texas offense has emphasized the run more than in years past — “This tailback could play for anybody in the country,” Rhoads said — but are still just seventh in the Big 12 in rushing.

ISU defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said that the challenge with Texas’ offense is the different styles of runners it can feature at any time.

Texas has four ball carriers that see significant time and already have more than 100 yards on the season and five Longhorns have completed touchdowns on the ground.

Burnham also said the front four — with new faces Jacob Lattimer and Roosevelt Maggitt — will play a key role in stopping the Texas ground game.

The Cyclones will probably load the box with linebackers and safeties too, though, to help slow down the runners.

“We feel good about that part, as far as our plan,” Burnham said. “Now, can we go out there physically and match up with them?

“I don’t know. Hopefully we can for enough times to, hopefully, win a football game.”