Saturday’s game against Texas A&M means a multitude of things for the ISU football program.

For starters, the game will be televised by ABC and seen by a large regional audience.

Second, the Cyclones are 5-1 and have a chance at becoming bowl eligible with a win Saturday, in just the eighth week of the season.

Third, a win over the Aggies would put the Cyclones in the position to be the first ISU football team to be nationally ranked since 1981.

Finally, to the ISU football team’s 23 seniors, it means a chance to win their first Homecoming game.

For each senior, Saturday’s game presents a myriad of obstacles to overcome, and the opportunity to boldly go where no other ISU football team ever has. Whatever the case, here is what some of the Cyclone seniors had to say about Saturday’s contest.

Reggie Hayward:

“This is what you play Division I football for. We’ve got all the opportunities we want right here. Playing on TV, having a chance to be ranked, we’re putting ourselves in a position for a lot of wonderful things. This is [the seniors] last chance to win a Homecoming game. And after the win, hopefully we’ll go home and party.”

Dustin Avey:

“Playing at home, playing in front of some alumni, means a lot for them coming back, especially when we’re 5-1, and they have high hopes for this season. I want to show them what we’ve worked for so far the last five years. This is just one more step we have to take to get to where we want to go where we want to go, so this is definitely the biggest game of the year so far.”

Chris Anthony:

“I think the most exciting part is that we’re actually playing for something this year. It’s not just another game this year; there’s actually something on the line. It’ll be great for recruiting for this program down the line. A lot of people will get to see it, and for a lot of the guys that aren’t from Iowa, their families will get to see us play too.”

James Reed:

“It’s going to be special. I played Texas A&M my sophomore year, and we got blown out. If we win this game, I’ll feel real good knowing I left here when we beat a team from the state of Texas that was real good.”