As the Cyclones and Hawkeyes get set to do battle Saturday night, the term ‘role reversal’ comes to mind.

Fifteen years of losses in a row can lead to some trends. Iowa would win the same way every year: Physical offensive lines and aggressive play defensively that would lead to turnovers.

This year, however, the Cyclones have been installed as the four-point favorite and are coming off a 27-9 shellacking of the Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium a year ago.

The key battle last season was the Hawkeyes’ offensive line against the Cyclones’ defensive front, and it figures to be the same this year.

The Hawkeyes ‘big uglies’ on the offensive end represent the most glaring weakness on the squad. They were dominated a year ago by the Cyclones, and with all four starters returning for ISU, it could be a long night for the undersized line of the Hawkeyes.

Turning the tables, the Cyclones’ offensive line figures to be improved on the unit that cleared the way for Darren Davis to rush for 244 yards and a touchdown in the win.

The unit averages 301 pounds and shuttles eight people on a regular basis. The key players are senior left tackle Bill Marsau, a three-year starter on the line and native of Hudson, and center Ben Bruns, who is playing that position for the first time in his college career.

The team is very deep in the interior and figures to keep the rotation going throughout the year.

The group they will face is a different one. The loss of Jared Devries, Aron Klein and Jeff Kramer will present an interesting dilemma for Iowa.

They have a number of players that could step up at that position, and the promising athletes mean that the cupboard is not bare.

Anthony Herron returns along with Ed Sadiat at defensive end, and two new starters will be in the middle.

Jerry Montgomery, a 290-pound sophomore, was a highly touted recruit who had a solid first game against Nebraska. The other starter will be Cory Brown, a 290-pound senior who gets his first extended look in a Hawkeye uniform.

The Hawkeye defensive line is big, averaging 280 pounds, and is very physical as well. The task for the Cyclone line will be to match the physical play and use their bulk to open holes for running backs Ennis Haywood and Darren Davis.

The Cyclone receivers did not get much use in the initial contest of the season, as only 12 passes were attempted. Expect that to change, however, as ISU likely will not be able to get by on just running the football to win.

Damien Groce, who was very impressive in his junior season a year ago with seven touchdown catches, did not catch a ball against Indiana State.

Former walk-on Chris Anthony, who was very consistent as a junior last year, caught only one pass for five yards in the season’s initial campaign.

The Cyclones lack a true deep threat, but J.J. Moses came on to provide a spark as the No. 3 receiver, catching four passes, including a touchdown.

The tight end spot is manned by the physical Mike Banks and the talented Andy Stensrud, who caught a crucial pass on fourth and one a year ago against Iowa.

The Hawkeye secondary is led by senior safety Matt Bowen, who led the Hawks in tackles a year ago. Also providing solid coverage in the backfield is Tarig Holman, who picked off three passes last season.

Joe Slattery is back at the other corner spot, providing experience as he started all 11 games in 1998. The only new starter in the secondary is Matt Stockdale, a sophomore who started two games a year ago.

Although the passing game will be used more, the ISU game plan will be to run the ball, and unless they are down by a sizable margin, don’t look for more than 20 passes out of the Cyclones.

That brings us to our next matchup, the Cyclone running game against the Hawkeye linebackers.

With senior Darren Davis and standout sophomore Ennis Haywood, tailback is the Cyclones’ most talented position. The pair combined for 284 yards in the season opener and look to do more of the same against the Hawkeyes.

As mentioned earlier, Davis had a big game against Iowa a year ago, and the Cyclones were able to eat the clock and keep the defense off the field. Haywood was not a major contributor at that point but will get at least 10 carries on Saturday.

The two backs have vastly different styles. Davis’ forte seems to be avoiding contact, while Haywood seems to thrive on it.

The Iowa corps of linebackers is headed by sophomore Aaron Kampman, a player coveted by McCarney and the Cyclones after an outstanding prep career at Applington-Parkersburg.

He got the start in the final two games of last season as a true freshman and has proven to be a player with big-play capability. Two new starters in junior LeVar Woods and Derrick Davison round out the unit.

The matchup of quarterbacks is an interesting one. Both teams figure to use two signal-callers in the contest, with ISU being led by juniors Sage Rosenfels and Derrick Walker.

Rosenfels possesses the stronger arm, while Walker is a bit more mobile. The game plan does not change all that much when either is playing and both had very good performances in the opening game.

They were a combined 10-12 with a touchdown, and both looked comfortable under center.

The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, will start Kyle McCann, but senior Randy Reiners figures to see some action after serving a one-game suspension.

McCann was the starter a year ago and was under a lot of pressure as the game wore on. He is considerably more mobile than Reiners, and, with the makeshift offensive line that he is working with, he may be more suited to this contest.

The Iowa running game is led by Ledell Betts, a sophomore who rushed for 72 yards on 15 carries against Nebraska. The 5-11, 206-pound player was named honorable mention all-Big 10 after rushing for almost 700 yards as a freshman.

Blocking for him will be senior fullback Rob Thein, who started five games a year ago.

The tight end is anchored by Zeron Flemister, who overcame a suspension for a DUI offense to have a solid season a year ago.

The ISU linebacking corps is led by senior Dave Brcka, who has started in all four years. Eric Weiford did a solid job in his first collegiate start, leading the team with nine tackles.

Jesse Beckom, the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, was very solid in the opener, and also wreaked havoc on the Hawkeyes last season.

The Hawkeye receiving unit was hurt with the loss of Kahill Hill, the best freshman receiver in Hawkeye history. He was suspended for the year by the team for “violating team rules.”

The Hawks now start Bashir Yamini, who caught 31 balls last year but averaged only 10.2 yards per catch, and Kevin Kasper, who made his first start as a former walk-on a year ago.

The Cyclone secondary is improved from a year ago, as they are one of the few teams to return all four starters. Jeff Waters and Dustin Avey are two very capable safeties, while Jamarcus Powers and Breon Ansley stay with most receivers at the corner spot.