It’s the biggest game of the season. Beat Iowa and nothing else matters.

When the Cyclones face their rivals from Iowa City for the 52nd time Saturday, state bragging rights for the next year will be on the line.

ISU safety Nik Moser didn’t even try to hide his anticipation.

When asked if he was excited for the game, the ISU junior and lifelong Cyclone fan while growing up in Fort Dodge simply flashed a smile.

“Oh yeah,” was all Moser said.

After winning the intrastate game five consecutive years, from 1998 to 2002, Iowa State fell to Iowa 40-21 last year in Ames.

Moser and his teammates would like nothing more than to start another Cyclone winning streak. He knows a win against Iowa could be used as a springboard for this season.

“It would be big,” Moser said. “Any win is a big win right now. From where we’re coming from it [would give us] a lot of confidence.”

Last year, the 40-21 loss was the first of the Cyclone season, and was followed by nine more. Iowa State finished the season with a 2-10 record while the Hawkeyes went 10-3, including a win over Florida in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day.

This is head coach Dan McCarney’s 23rd Iowa State-Iowa game.

“I’ve got some insight that a lot of people never had or never will have, being involved that many times. It really is a great rivalry and I believe that,” McCarney said. “Despite what the oddsmakers are saying, we think we’ve got a chance to go over and have a great football game with Iowa this week.”

Iowa State is going into the game as 24 1/2-point underdogs.

Iowa is currently ranked 12th in the USA Today/ESPN Poll and 16th in the Associated Press rankings. A game against a team of that caliber, especially on its home field, is no walk in the park.

“We’re a young team, and there are a lot of guys who haven’t been to Kinnick [Stadium], and the ones who have been there know it is tough going on the road anywhere,” Moser said. “Iowa is no different. You can’t tell them exactly what they’re going to get themselves into. They’ll find out when the game starts.”

The trip will be a homecoming of sorts for freshman fullback Greg Coleman.

Coleman played high school football at Iowa City West and was recruited heavily by Iowa.

“It’s going to be an awesome feeling,” Coleman said. “All my good friends are Hawkeye fans. I have teammates [from high school] who are Hawkeyes. It’s going to be a lot of fun — it’s a great rivalry.”

Iowa was the first school to make Coleman an offer, but the prep star wanted a chance to leave the distractions of his hometown. Even though his decision led him to Ames, Coleman is still close with many members of the Iowa football community.

“I was close to the Iowa coaches and a lot of the players,” Coleman said. “I got to know a lot of those guys real well. It’s going to be a lot of fun and there will be a lot of faces [on the field] I’ll recognize.”

Reports published earlier in the week said Coleman would redshirt his initial season at Iowa State but proved not to be true.

The 212-pound, 6-footer will move to fullback where he will play behind Ryan Kock and Tony Johnson.

Having experienced the game from both towns directly involved, Coleman offers an insight into the importance of the game.

“There is an extra part to the rivalry because there are no pro teams [in Iowa] — college is considered the pros,” Coleman said. “People take a lot of pride [in the game] and a lot of people who graduated from Iowa and Iowa State stay in the state.”