It’s not too likely that at the beginning of the season any ISU football players or coaches expected to be facing the nation’s sixth-best pass defense this weekend.

Time for a reality check.

Connecticut, which wasn’t even a Division I football team until 2000, will meet the Cyclones in Ames Saturday, boasting a pass defense that’s statistically better than Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas State and 108 other teams across the country.

“You check with my coaches and the tape we’ve watched — we’re going to have our hands full,” ISU head coach Dan McCarney said. “I don’t think there are any of my players that are dumb enough to think that this is going to be anything easy.”

The Huskies (5-6) have won three games in a row, while Iowa State (7-5, 4-4 Big 12) has lost four of its last five games. In Connecticut’s victory over Navy last weekend, they outgained the Midshipmen in yardage 509-82, just one week after Navy took nationally ranked Notre Dame down to the wire.

As former victims Florida Atlantic, Kent State and Navy can attest, the Huskies also very capable of turning big yards into big points. They have outscored the last three opponents by an average of 54-12.

“When you dominate a team that had completely played Notre Dame off their feet, and blow them out, just blow them out at Navy, then we better be ready to go,” McCarney said.

Regardless of rankings or past performances, Connecticut head coach Randy Edsall is concerned by ISU quarterback Seneca Wallace. Wallace passed for 265 yards, but had an interception and three fumbles in the loss to Colorado.

Already the single-season record holder for passing yards, he has a chance to become Iowa State’s all-time leader in passing yardage. Wallace needs 342 yards in his last two games to edge former Cyclone Alex Espinoza.

“He throws the ball extremely well and has very good touch,” Edsall said.

“He understands where to go with the ball and makes the tough throws and also the finesse throws. I’m very, very impressed with him. He’ll be the best player that we’ve seen all year.”

Edsall said his team will have to be aggressive but disciplined with its defense to have a chance against the Cyclones. He’s taking the “bend, but not break” approach with Wallace.

“I’m not going to sit here and say we’re going to shut him down,” Edsall said. “But we’ve got to minimize them to where they’re not big plays or touchdowns.”

Connecticut counters with sophomore Dan Orlovsky at the quarterback position. The 6-foot-5, 228-pounder has thrown for 2,255 yards and 16 touchdowns this season. His passing efficiency rating is only three points worse than Wallace’s.

“That’s a quarterback that has just gotten better and better as the season has gone on,” McCarney said. “He’s a real smart player and he’s able to make plays,” defensive lineman Jordan Carstens said. “It’s going to be a pretty big challenge for our defense to hold their scoring down.”

Orlovksy has gotten help from true freshman running back Terry Caulley, who has 1,056 yards and 14 touchdowns in the eight games he has played. And then there is the pass defense, led by fifth-year senior Roy Hopkins.

“It doesn’t take long to get the attention of our coaching staff and our football team because of the respect we have for Connecticut,” McCarney said.

McCarney said his team will focus on being better tacklers and causing turnovers against the Huskies.

He said those two things, as well as some mental errors, hurt his squad in the loss to Colorado.

Even though the loss was tough to take, McCarney has his players optimistic about what is ahead.

The Cyclones, who haven’t lost at Jack Trice Stadium this season, can become the first team since 1917 to go undefeated at home. And the program’s third consecutive bowl game is next on the schedule after Connecticut.

“There’s no gloom and doom around here,” McCarney said. “We’re playing for a chance at our eighth win and a chance for our ninth win in the bowl game.”