AMES (AP) — What Iowa State could use as much as anything this week is a page or two from Missouri’s playbook.

Missouri was able to control the ball with a strong running game against Colorado last week and beat the Buffaloes 41-31.

ISU coach Dan McCarney said Tuesday his team has to do the same thing if the Cyclones are to have any chance at all when they play host to Colorado on Saturday.

“I think Missouri had a tremendous game plan last week,” McCarney said.

“Who would have ever thought anybody could ever keep the ball away from Colorado for 42 minutes? But Missouri did it,” he said.

Missouri had the ball for 42 minutes, 20 seconds against Colorado and piled up 517 yards. Most of the Tigers’ yardage, 353, came on the ground and that’s the key to any ball-control effort.

You have to be able to run it.

“I think that’s your best chance because their offense is so explosive,” McCarney said. “They’ve got big playmakers, speed at wide receiver, as good as there is college football, a great operator at quarterback, a huge, athletic, tough, experienced offensive line.

“We’ve got to do all we can to try to keep the ball away from their offense.”

McCarney does have a point. While Colorado has been a big disappointment with its 4-4 record, the Buffaloes have scored 42, 41 and 31 points in their last three games.

Someone who evidently likes numbers figured out that Colorado averaged 1.75 points and 17 yards for every minute it had the ball against Missouri.

The Buffs’ possession time of 17:40 in that game was the second lowest in school history.

“They’ve struggled at times and they’ve had some problems,” McCarney said. “But as you watch Colorado, they’ve got to be the best 4-4 team in America and have as fine a talent as anybody in America with a 4-4 record right now.”

Still, there are a couple of things that give the Cyclones confidence they can run the ball against Colorado.

One is that several teams have been able to do it.

The Buffaloes have given up at least 243 yards rushing in four of the last five games.

“There’s not big, huge, long runs by anybody, but people have been able to control the ball a little better on them,” McCarney said.

The other is that ISU’s running game is getting better by the week now that Darren Davis is healthy.

Davis has rushed for 508 yards in the last two games, including 261 on 42 carries in last week’s 34-24 loss at Kansas.

McCarney said Davis looked just like his brother, Troy, in the game because of the way he kept wanting the ball and breaking tackles.

“He’s like any great pitcher in baseball. Don’t relieve me. Don’t take me out of the game. I’m the best. Leave me out here. Keep letting me throw,” McCarney said. “Darren wants to keep getting carries because he always feels like he can make something happen. We’re hoping he can have a real big week this week.”

Davis’ father, William Webster, is planning to drive up from Miami to watch Saturday’s game.

The one ISU game Webster attended last year, Troy Davis ran for 241 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-23 victory over Northern Iowa.

“He got up for one game of Troy’s and it was an excellent game and great performance by one son,” McCarney said. “Hopefully, we can have the same type of thing this weekend.”

The Colorado/ISU game is scheduled for 1:30 pm. at Jack Trice Stadium.