The Iowa football team has given up three points this season.

Only 11 of the 119 Division I teams have scored fewer than 27 points, the total points the ISU offense scored through two games.

To win this Saturday, the Cyclones (0-2 overall) will have to move the ball against a Hawkeye (2-0) defense that ranks first nationally in points allowed.

“They’ve got a tremendous defensive line; they’re strong, they’re physical. Their linebackers can run. Their secondary is very disciplined, I mean, it’s a very disciplined defense,” said ISU coach Gene Chizik. “They know exactly what they’re doing, they don’t make any mistakes, and I think that’s evident in the first two games.”

Last week, the Hawkeyes shut out Syracuse 35-0 after the Orange gained just four yards on offense in the first half and 103 yards for the game. The Hawkeyes beat Northern Illinois in their season opener, 16-3.

The Cyclones have been haunted through the first two weeks by untimely turnovers, which has caused the defense to remain on the field for extended periods of time. A consistent run game on Saturday against Iowa could help take some of the pressure off the defense, but that could be a tall task.

Iowa starts 10 upperclassmen on defense and has a long list of daunting statistics to back their 2-0 start.

Iowa (2-0 overall) ranks sixth nationally in yards allowed (318) and second in rushing defense (45 yards) through two games.

And after last week’s rushing effort against Northern Iowa, the Cyclones need improvement.

Iowa State rushed for only 129 yards, and J.J. Bass followed his impressive debut with only 45 yards on 15 carries, but Chizik said that was more a product of being behind.

“We would have liked to try to run the ball more, but as the game got to where we had to throw in that last quarter we ended up throwing the ball more than we would have liked to,” Chizik said.

Iowa State had four turnovers in the game.

Bass had no carries in the third quarter and only four in the fourth. The junior said he has a good feeling about the game this weekend and he thinks the Cyclones match up well with Iowa.

“They’re big, I feel we’re big . I think we’re ready,” Bass said. “We size up well with these guys, and they put on their pads the same way we put on our pads, so I don’t see much of a big difference.”

The Cyclones 0-2 start may have reduced some of the usual hype between fan bases for the annual Cy-Hawk battle, but don’t tell that to Todd Blythe.

“This rivalry is so much fun to be a part of and I’m so glad I’ve got to be a part of four of them,” the senior receiver said. “I’ve talked to the seniors and we all want to leave this place with that trophy. This is as big and as important as any of the others I’ve been in.

“It would be a great feeling to run across that sideline and bring it back into our locker room this year.”