After a long road trip, the ISU football is hoping to have a happy Homecoming with a victory over Oklahoma State Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.

The Cyclones managed a split in consecutive road games with No. 3 Nebraska and Missouri. They responded to a loss to the Huskers by escaping with a 20-14 win in Columbia last weekend after a late goal-line stand.

“It’s great to be back home again,” ISU head coach Dan McCarney said. “We had a great win at Missouri Saturday but it’s obvious when you watch the tape that we have a lot of coaching and room for improvement. The kids went away with some confidence with the goal-line stand and other plays that were made.”

After bouncing back from the Husker loss with a big road win, the Cyclones face another critical win situation in means of momentum. Following Saturday, the Cyclones start a three-game stretch with Texas A&M, Kansas State and Colorado.

“We’re looking forward to this game as each game gets bigger going into the last six games of the year,” McCarney said. “We put ourselves in position to have a good season. We’re hoping to take it to a new level and build on last week’s victory.”

One area where the Cyclones have struggled recently is on the offensive side of the ball. The Cyclones have scored just 34 points in their last two games and was held to just 266 yards in total offense, including only 75 passing yards.

It doesn’t get any easier for the ISU offense, having to face an athletic Cowboy defense.

The Cowboys have limited the opposition to just 120.3 rushing yards per game and 326.2 yards of total offense.

“Oklahoma State really runs well to the ball,” McCarney said. “They’re very athletic, very quick, very fast and their linebackers run like crazy. They have real good defensive speed.”

A bright spot for the Cyclones last week was the resurgence of Ennis Haywood, the 2000 Big 12 rushing champ. Haywood rushed for 120 yards and scored both ISU touchdowns.

While Haywood had a good outing, McCarney is still concerned about the offense as a whole.

“Anytime we’re held to less than 300 yards of offense, it wasn’t a good day for us,” McCarney said.

“Ennis [Haywood] had 100 yards and that was great but we’ve got to be more effective offensively.”

Last year’s game in Stillwater was a shootout, which the Cyclones won 33-26. Cowboy quarterback Aso Pogi had a huge game, throwing for 326 yards and two touchdowns. Pogi is back as the starter and has impressive numbers in OSU’s 2-4 start.

Pogi has tossed six touchdown passes to only three interceptions, and is completing 62.9 percent of his passes.

“Offensively they could run more of a two-back set than they did last year,” McCarney said. “Pogi can throw from the pocket or on the roll. He’s a great quarterback, he really lit us up down there last year.”

Cyclone defensive back Harold Clewis will be starting in place of the injured Johnny Smith III. Clewis didn’t play in last year’s game in Stillwater but still recalls watching Pogi’s tremendous effort from the sidelines.

“He’s [Pogi] a real good quarterback,” Clewis said. “I remember watching him last year and he’ll be a force come Saturday.”

The Cowboys are coming off a 45-10 loss to Texas. The Cowboys opened up a 10-0 lead but then was buried by the Longhorns who shook off a slow start.

“We have to understand in every game that there will be an ebb and flow of momentum,” Cowboy coach Les Miles said. “We have to maintain the same hustle and fight that got us the lead.”