ISU head coach Dan McCarney has been a part of nearly half the Iowa-Iowa State football games, but this year’s matchup looks to be one of the most evenly matched he’s seen.

“I just don’t see any knockouts in this game,” McCarney said. “I just think it’s going to be a hell of a football game.”

The annual rivalry will be renewed Saturday night when the two teams meet for the 50th time at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. McCarney, a former player and assistant coach at Iowa, has been a part of 21 of those games. He’s coached the Cyclones to the last four victories in the series.

McCarney said many of his players are familiar with the rivalry, but some have never experienced the rivalry first-hand.

“Half of my starters are from the state of Iowa, but I counted 14 kids in the two-deep that have never played in this game before,” McCarney said. “It’s my job, and all of ours, to make sure they understand the meaning to this game, the intensity of this game and how hard you’ve got to play.”

At the same time, McCarney said he doesn’t want toO much pressure on his players. He said he’ll remind his team – just like he did against Florida State – that there is still a long season ahead of them, no matter the outcome.

“If you’re so uptight and feel so much pressure, you can’t execute; then we’re not going to win this game,” McCarney said. “There’s a fine line there, but we’re going to do all we can to make sure our kids are educated, motivated and ready to go.

“The desire and the hunger is one of the key ingredients to who wins this football game.”

ISU quarterback Seneca Wallace is one of the players that has only experienced the rivalry in person once – last season. The Sacramento, Calif. native said the team won’t change its preparation for the Hawkeyes.

Receiver Jack Whitver agreed with Wallace, but said he and the rest of the Cyclones have been keeping an eye on Hawkeye quarterback Brad Banks, who is in his first year leading the team.

Banks is averaging 190 passing yards per game through three games, and more importantly, has no interceptions and is completing 65 percent of his passes.

“He’s a lot like Seneca in that everyone thinks he’s a running quarterback, but really he’s just a passer that can run,” Whitver said. “You always have to respect the option and quarterback scramble when you play a guy like Brad Banks.”

Nick Linder, an Iowa City native and former Hawkeye fan, has also noticed Banks’ improved play this season.

“He’s mobile and he’s got a good arm when he’s out running,” Linder said. “He seems like he’s been able to run the show a little bit more this year. I think he’s got the respect now of everybody else on the team and that offense.”

While the focus has been on Banks, McCarney said Iowa’s strengths go way beyond their quarterback. The Hawkeyes (2-0) pounded Akron in their first game and held on to defeat Miami of Ohio last week, 29-24.

“They’ve really got good team speed, great depth at running back and great depth at wide receiver,” McCarney said. “Defensively they’re holding people to 40 yards rushing in two games. They’re picking up right where they left off last year.”

Iowa State’s defense has been respectable so far this season as well, only allowing 120 rushing yards per game.

They will have their biggest challenge so far to attempt to contain Iowa’s running game.

Aaron Greving is listed as the first-string running back on Iowa’s depth chart.

The junior has been nursing a sore ankle this season and hasn’t seen action, but Fred Russell has more than carried the load. The shifty junior is averaging 160 yards per game.

Another thing that worries McCarney is the Hawkeyes record on their home turf. Iowa is 6-1 in its last seven home games, dating back to the 2000 season. McCarney pointed out this is the first hostile environment the Cyclones will have faced this season.

When looking at the numbers, it seems as if the Cyclones might have an edge against Iowa’s secondary. Opponents are averaging 319 passing yards per game against the Hawkeyes, but Whitver said he doesn’t see an advantage because of the competition Iowa’s faced.

“I think the reason they’ve given up that many passing yards is because they play a team like Miami [of Ohio] who runs five wide, and their focus is the spread offense,” Whitver said. “If you look at their rushing yards, they didn’t give up any because Miami didn’t run at all.”

Oddsmakers have the Hawkeyes as a three-point favorite for the game, but Wallace said that’s just another number to him.

“That’s just what people think,” Wallace said. “It doesn’t bother us – we still just have to go out there and do what we do best.”

Wallace, who is averaging 259 passing yards per game, is on pace to shatter the school record for most passing yards in a season held by David Archer. However, Archer set the mark with an 11-game schedule. The Cyclones will play 13 regular-season games this year. Wallace needs to average 187 yards per game to break the mark.