The ISU wrestling squad looks to shake off some early season cobwebs this Sunday, but it won’t be easy.

Head coach Bobby Douglas will take his show on the road against the second-ranked wrestling team in the country, a team that has a wrestler ranked in the top 20 in the 10 weight classes, the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The Cyclones (1-2) and Hawkeyes (3-0) renew their bitter rivalry for the 67th time this Sunday and the Hawks are looking for dual win 30 in a row against the Cyclones. A win against Iowa State would give the Hawkeye program its 750th victory overall.

While Iowa State has struggled against ranked opponents early this season, Iowa has thrived. All three of Iowa’s victories have come against ranked opponents, with convincing wins over then—top-ranked Minnesota, Lehigh (No. 7), and Arizona State (No. 16).

Douglas knows his young team faces a tough task this Sunday.

“Iowa’s probably going to be favored in at least eight out of the 10 matches, so we have to get out and score some early points,” said Douglas, whose squad will try to loosen the stranglehold that the Hawkeyes have on this intrastate battle.

Iowa’s Steve Mocco (ranked second at heavyweight), Luke Eustice (top-ranked at 125) and Jessman Smith (No. 2 at 184) make up the three undefeated wrestlers on this year’s team, and all three are ranked in the top two in their individual weight class.

In contrast, the Cyclones bring to Iowa City two undefeated wrestlers, Zach Roberson at 133 pounds, and the reigning NCAA champion at 141 pounds, No. 1-ranked Aaron Holker.

“For us to be successful this weekend, we need to take advantage of the matches we’re capable of winning,” Douglas said. “Hopefully we can get those in early and try to set a tone for the rest of the meet.”

One of the Cyclones Douglas will look to for a spark this weekend will be Nick Passolano, ranked 16th in the 165-pound weight class.

Passolano downplayed the significance of this weekend’s match.

“A lot of people make a big deal about this rivalry and try to get the other team fired up, but you can’t approach it any different than you would any other dual meet,” Passolano said. “Iowa’s a good squad, and we’ll have to be ready.”

While the general youth of this years Cyclone squad makes for an exciting future, the present has been rocky thus far. Iowa State has beaten Millersville this year while falling to traditional East Coast powers Lehigh and Lock Haven.

“With youth comes inexperience,” Douglas said. “This weekend’s dual will be a good measuring stick for where we are, and where we want to be.”

The dual meet will be at 2 p.m. Sunday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.