When the Hawkeyes and Cyclones meet in the trenches on Saturday night at Jack Trice Stadium, the two teams will both be in unfamiliar territory.

Iowa State comes into the contest as four-point favorites, the team expected to get the win in this intrastate battle.

Iowa, meanwhile, comes in as the rebuilding team trying to gain confidence as it heads into the regular season.

The key matchup figures to favor the Cyclones. The defensive line of Iowa State against the offensive line of the Hawkeyes is could decide the game.

The Cyclones feature Reggie Hayward, a junior defensive end who terrorized the Hawkeyes a year ago, and James Reed, a junior who earned third-team All-Big 12 honors last season.

Hayward dominated Iowa last year, collecting five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

He also hurried Iowa quarterback Kyle McCann several times in a performance that earned him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Reed also has proven to be a very solid player.

The defensive tackle led the team in tackles last season with 88 and will be a major factor in Saturday night’s game.

Also figuring in on the action for ISU will be Kevin DeRonde, a defensive end who came on strong at the end of last season, and nose guard Ryan Harklau, who also has been a factor for a couple of years.

Adding depth will be Robert Brannon, who earned ISU’s defensive MVP after recording seven tackles from his inside position against Indiana State.

The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, started four new players on the offensive line last Saturday against Nebraska and were clearly outmatched by the Huskers, who entered the contest rated No. 6 in the nation.

“When I look at that football team, the only position where they don’t have a lot of experience is at the offensive line position,” Iowa State coach Dan McCarney said.

The Hawkeyes started Andy Lightfoot, a 275-pound freshman, and Jay Bickford, a 285-pound senior, at the guard spots.

Neither player started a game last season.

At the tackle spots were Bruce Nelson, a 270-pound redshirt freshman, and Alonzo Cunningham, a 295-pound sophomore.

Cunningham did make six starts, while Nelson is in his first year.

The center is A.J. Blazek, who is a 275-pound junior.

The line averages 280 pounds, well below typical Big 10 standards. Iowa State’s defensive line, meanwhile, averages 267 pounds, only a 13-pound differential.

ISU has not yet shown enough confidence in their secondary to blitz, so the matchup figures to be straight-up.

It’s one the Cyclones won last season, and if they want a repeat performance, they need to win the battle in the trenches this year as well.