ISU head coach Dan McCarney said he knew Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury was good last season.

Now, McCarney said he might just be the best he’s ever seen at the quarterback position.

“The way he’s been playing in the last few weeks, he is playing with as much consistency, productivity and accuracy as I’ve ever seen,” McCarney said. “He’s really something.”

However, McCarney has one of the best signal-callers in the nation on his side as well in Seneca Wallace. The senior, who averages over 275 passing yards per game, is first in the Big 12 Conference and sixth nationally with a quarterback efficiency of 158.1.

Kingsbury, who comes in third in the conference with a quarterback efficiency rating of 147.8, was 49-of-59 for 474 yards through the air in last week’s win over Texas A&M.

He has thrown 11 touchdowns in the last two games and has 22 for the season.

“He’s unconscious right now throwing the football,” McCarney said of Kingsbury. “He’s putting the ball in a lot of places where defenders, no matter where you put them, can’t get their hands on the ball.”

The Cyclones hope Wallace’s performance Saturday can neutralize the numbers that Kingsbury puts up.

McCarney is expecting a shootout.

He said Texas Tech’s last game against the Aggies featured so much passing it lasted 3 hours and 45 minutes.

If Wallace had his way, he would rather not get into a passing competition.

“We don’t want to get in a shootout with them, because that’s how their offense is made, to throw the ball,” Wallace said.

Wallace has helped the Cyclones to one of the best starts in school history.

If Iowa State beats Texas Tech, it will be 6-1 for the first time since 1907.

“He is a great quarterback and does well with the football, so it should make for an interesting game,” Kingsbury said.

McCarney said Kingsbury has a long list of positive attributes.

Along with loads of individual talent, McCarney said Kingsbury has great height, allowing him to see over the top of defenses.

At 6-foot-4, Kingsbury is one of the tallest starting quarterbacks in the Big 12 Conference.

Along with Wallace, Kingsbury is also one of the toughest signal-callers McCarney has seen as well.

“People try to hit him, bother him and discourage him, but it doesn’t bother him one bit,” McCarney said.