In this conference season, the circumstances have made little difference in the results of Iowa State’s football games.

Home or away, day or night, rain or shine, ranked or unranked — the Cyclones’ six losses in Big 12 play have followed similar patterns. Usually, Iowa State hangs around for a short time before the opponent opens a huge lead that an impotent ISU offense can’t overcome.

But as Iowa State heads on the road for the last two weeks of the 2003 season, an additional twist has entered the mix: Winning streaks.

Iowa State has beaten Saturday’s opponent, Kansas, three straight times, and North Division foe Missouri, who the Cyclones play Nov. 29, for four straight seasons.

“They’re having better seasons than we are right now,” ISU head coach Dan McCarney said Tuesday. “But that is very important for this program to try to maintain that winning streak.”

Last year, the Cyclones pummeled Kansas and first-year coach Mark Mangino 45-3 in the home opener at Jack Trice Stadium.

McCarney said despite Iowa State’s 2-8 overall record, ISU players will be excited to attempt to take down the Jayhawks again.

“I don’t think there’s been any towels thrown in, I don’t think anybody has quit around here,” McCarney said.

The task will almost certainly be tougher this season. Saturday’s game is the regular season finale for Kansas (5-6, 2-5 Big 12), which needs a win to become bowl-eligible for the first time since 1995, when Glen Mason led the Jayhawks to a 10-win season and a 51-30 win over UCLA in the Aloha Bowl.

Kansas has lost four games in a row, but with Iowa State having scored just 10 points in its last three games, McCarney said the Cyclones probably need their best effort of the season.

“If we go down to Kansas not ready to play, they’ll smack us,” McCarney said. “They’ll knock us silly, because they are really improved and they are playing with a lot of incentive.”

Senior safety Nick Linder said Iowa State has the ability to win Saturday’s game.

“The talent’s here,” he said. “Nobody’s quitting.”

The Cyclones’ eight-game skid means that a win over either team left on the schedule would be more important than a win over Kansas or Missouri might normally be.

“Beating Kansas or Missouri or both of them would be one of the best feelings we’ve all had, after what we’ve gone through this season,” McCarney said. “I’m looking forward to coaching these kids in these last 12 days.”