Revenge is one word Nebraska head football coach Frank Solich has worked hard to get out his players’ minds this past week.

After the Huskers were trounced by the Cyclones 36-14 last year in Ames, one might think Solich would be seeking venge-ance, but he said it’s all in the past.

“We don’t talk about that, they’re just the next opponent,” Solich said. “It’s not about revenge or personal agendas, it’s about getting your job done.”

“The past is the past — the future is what you’re going to do on Saturday.”

Solich’s players said they agree with their coach, but they admitted the loss still weighs on their minds somewhat.

“It’s definitely in your thoughts a little bit, because it was an embarrassing game, but you’ve got to focus on the present,” said junior linebacker Barrett Ruud. “They don’t have Seneca Wallace, so they’re going to be a different team this year.”

Although the 6-1 Huskers are heavily favored over the 2-5 Cyclones, Nebraska is in no way looking ahead to its next game against the Texas Longhorns, said defensive end Trevor Johnson.

“Any team can beat any team in the Big 12 this year so our focus will be solely on Iowa State this week,” Johnson said.

The Cyclones may not have quarterback Seneca Wallace this season, but Solich said containing freshman Austin Flynn and the passing game will be a priority.

“Iowa State has a good young quarterback who’s got a lot of versatility, he’s athletic,” Solich said. “They [also] have some good receivers, a good scheme and I’m sure they’re going to have some things that are different for us that we’ll have to adjust to.”

Solich said picking up Cyclone blitzes will be a concern for Lord and the rest of the offense.

“They do an awful lot of blitzing, and when you have a team that does a lot of blitzing, they can create a lot of turnovers,” Solich said. “We have to make sure we don’t get ourselves caught and turn the ball over.”

The Huskers don’t have such a bad defense themselves. Heading into Saturday’s game, the Huskers are second in the nation in total defense and turnovers forced, but Solich says those are only numbers.

“We don’t really talk about stats,” Solich said. “Maybe we’ll look back once the season’s over and feel good about those things, but we’re focusing on the job we need to do right now.”

With a number of Cyclones coming back from injuries, Solich feels this may be a closer game than many expect. “Iowa State has had some injuries earlier this year and now it looks like they’re getting some of their players back and that will certainly be a big plus for them,” Solich said. “I think Coach McCarney is a heck of a coach and a motivator. They’re a well-coached football team and they’ll be a challenge for us.”