With a 23-3 victory over Iowa now in the rear-view mirror, the ISU football team has turned its attention to Friday night’s matchup with the Army Black Knights.

When the No. 22 Cyclones (2-0) take the field at Army’s Michie Stadium, it will be the first time they play as a ranked team since November of 2002.

ISU coach Dan McCarney said he told his players not to be concerned about rankings this early in the season.

“I tell the kids, ‘Don’t get too excited about any ranking,'” McCarney said. “This is two weeks into the season. People are still trying to figure out who can play and who can’t – who’s a good team and who’s not.

“But it would still be a good notch for Army if they can beat a team that just got through beating a team ranked in the top 10.”

The game, to be broadcast on ESPN2, will be shown to an international audience and on the Armed Forces Network.

“It’s great for both of these football teams, these football programs,” McCarney said. “Both programs get a chance to go not only nationally, but worldwide, with their programs and football teams.

“The people protecting the freedom of our country will be watching this game. We know and can only imagine the intensity and the emotion and the enthusiasm that the Army football team is going to be playing with Friday night.”

Michie Stadium is widely regarded as one of the great atmospheres in college football and that fact was not lost on the Cyclone coaches and players.

“It’s going to be a great experience for us,” sophomore receiver Todd Blythe said. “Playing on a Friday night will be different for us. With all the cadets there, it will definitely be a different experience.”

The unique atmosphere is just one more thing McCarney said he will worry about going into Iowa State’s first road test of 2005.

“I haven’t seen this team on the road yet,” he said. “Will the atmosphere of West Point and 4,000 cadets and the history and tradition distract my football team from doing the job or not? We’ll find out Friday night at 8 o’clock.”

The Cyclones used their week off to not only to prepare for Army, but also to get the kicking game in order.

Sophomore place-kicker Bret Culbertson has yet to play this season, but is expected to resume kicking duties this week, barring any setbacks with an undisclosed injury.

“Culbertson’s been our No. 1 kicker all the way, and when he went out, [Tony] Yelk was put in there,” McCarney said. “But [Culbertson] got hurt in practice before, so it could happen again and we just have to be ready.”

Yelk, a senior, has been Culbertson’s replacement for field goals and point-after-touchdown attempts, and will continue kicking off when Culbertson returns, as long as his nagging groin injury doesn’t sideline him.

“The groin is just being a pain,” Yelk said.

“We’re doing everything we can from a medical standpoint. I’m going to keep fighting through it as best I can.

“Hopefully it doesn’t negatively affect the team.”

The game will be Iowa State’s final tune-up before conference play begins next week with a game at Nebraska.

Blythe said that watching other teams within the conference struggle with nonconference games adds importance to going out and taking care of business against Army.

“Hopefully [our place] is up near the top of the conference,” he said.

“Oklahoma’s lost a couple games, but they’re full of talented athletes. I think the Big 12 is just as strong as ever and it’s still one of the best conferences in the nation.”

McCarney agreed, and said the Cyclones would like to have a perfect record entering conference play.

“We’re going to try to stay undefeated and get back on that plane undefeated going into the Big 12 conference race,” said McCarney.

“We know it’s going to be really tough.”

Kickoff for Friday night’s game is 7 p.m. CDT.