The ever-enthusiastic, ever-optimistic Dan McCarney didn’t sound like his normal self in his weekly press conference Tuesday.

“Kansas State is an excellent football team. They are outscoring their opponents 40-3 so far this year. I see that we are major underdogs,and rightfully so,” McCarney said.

So, coach, what about Kansas State’s offense?

“They have an excellent, excellent offense. They have a running back that has been playing great, their offensive front is playing great, their tight ends are really physical, and they have a lot of playmakers,” McCarney said.

Ahh, but they don’t have all-Big 12 quarterback Michael Bishop anymore. That’s a good thing, right?

“The new quarterback (Jonathon Beasley) is very, very mobile. He can run around, and they are doing a lot of the same things that they did with Bishop. He’s got a good arm, he’s made some big-time plays, and he’s going to give us some problems,” McCarney said.

Yeah, but what about the defense?

“We will not be able to run the ball on them like we have so far this season. They’re too good. They have four All-Big 12 guys back from last year, and there are two or three or four new starters that look to me like they have the potential to be All-Big 12. They are just dominant,” McCarney said.

But coach, you still have to be confident you can win the game, right?

“Well, I think realistically, hopefully we’ve put ourselves in the position to make it a game. The last couple of years this game has been a total mismatch, and it could be again this year, because they have that kind of talent, and they have a lot of experience all over the field. I’m sure hoping it will be a good football game,” McCarney said.

How’s that for the old pre-game, fire and brimstone speech?

So, the Cyclones appear to be going up against the greatest team in college football history, as opposed to a team that, while being 2-0, has played such stalwarts as Temple and UTEP to kick off the 1999 campaign.

The players, meanwhile, were not subject to their coach’s Kansas State bandwagon jargon and felt they actually might be able to stay in the game beyond the five minute mark of the first quarter.

With the injury of Jamarcus Powers, Atif Austin has been inserted into the starting lineup.

Despite his lack of experience and the considerable prowess of Wildcat wide receivers Aaron Lockett and Quincy Morgan, Austin, the redshirt freshman is “confident in his ability.”

“I’m just going to go out there and play my best, and whatever happens, happens,” Austin said.

Perhaps the boldest statement came from a member of the unit that is playing a big role in the 3-0 start.

“We are not going out there to make it a game. We are going out there to win the game,” offensive lineman Marcel Howard said.

The man he is blocking for, Darren Davis, suggested that while Kansas State was good, they are by no means unbeatable.

“They are a very good team, but they aren’t the same team as last year. They lost some guys, and also we’ve improved a lot. We now have a player to match with them at every position,” Davis said.

In fact, Davis has even been able to concentrate on things besides the impending beating his team is apparently about to take.

When asked about getting his brother Troy’s all-time ISU rushing record, Darren didn’t mince any words.

“I want that record. I didn’t think about it until after the last game, but I now think it’s a goal I can reach,” Davis said.

When asked whether Troy knew he was after his record, Davis flashed a gold-toothed smile and said, “No. I’m keeping it a secret.”

Evidently, if his coach has any confidence in his team for the game on Saturday, so does he.