The good news: No. 18 Iowa held No. 16 Arizona State to 184 total yards Saturday, making ISU’s 390 yards in last week’s 40-21 loss seem pretty good.

The Hawkeyes moved up to No. 13 in this week’s Associated Press poll.

The bad news: Iowa State hasn’t won on the road since beating Iowa 36-31 last Sept. 14, and when the Cyclones visit No. 20 Northern Illinois Saturday, it will be their sixth consecutive away game against a rated team.

The Huskies are in the Top 25 for the first time ever after pulling their second huge upset of the season by defeating No. 21 Alabama 19-16 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Northern Illinois, picked to win the Mid-American Conference by conference media, scored the biggest surprise of the season’s first week in a nationally televised Thursday night game at home, beating then-No. 15 Maryland 20-13 in overtime.

Now the Huskies are 3-0 and hosting a Cyclone team that’s had a week off to reflect on uninspiring performances rushing the football and punting the football against Iowa.

Iowa State is 5-0 against Mid-American foes under head coach Dan McCarney, defeating Ohio four times, including 48-20 on Sept. 6 this season, and Ball State once. But the Cyclones had to hold on late for a 31-28 win over Ohio in 2001, the only time they went on the road against a Mid-American team in that span.

Northern Illinois wasn’t the only conference team making waves Saturday — Marshall shocked No. 6 Kansas State 27-20 in Manhattan, Kan., and Toledo upset No. 9 Pittsburgh at home, 35-31.

To win, Iowa State will have to overcome what will likely be a capacity crowd at Huskie Stadium and contain All-American tailback Michael Turner, who carried 27 times for 156 yards against Alabama.

An ISU victory would be the team’s first against a ranked opponent on the road since the Cyclones and quarterback Chris Pedersen beat Oklahoma 33-31 in Norman, Okla., on Oct. 20, 1990.