First-year Kansas football Coach Terry Allen will find himself in an unusual situation Saturday when his team plays Iowa State.

For the first time in the five games he has coached against the Cyclones, Allen will not be a heavy underdog going into the game. Kansas (2-3, 4-4) is a nine-point favorite over ISU (1-3, 1-6) in a 1 p.m. game Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kans.

Allen came to Kansas from Northern Iowa. While at Northern Iowa, Allen coached against the Cyclones four times.

In each game, ISU was heavily favored over the NCAA Division I-AA power. Nonetheless, Allen’s teams went 2-2 against the Cyclones.

Allen sees a different scenario for Saturday’s game.

”Before, when we went in there, we had everything to gain and nothing to lose,” he said.

”Now the shoe is on the other foot. Your preparation becomes more conservative. I guess that would be the term,” he said.

To say Kansas has struggled on offense this season would be an understatement — the Jayhawks are the lowest-ranked team in Division I in total offense.

”[Offense] is obviously a big disappointment,” Allen said. ”But it’s something that happens sometimes. It’s a combination of things, and right now, we’re concerned about our confidence level.”

ISU does not have the same problems on offense as Kansas, at least not when Darren Davis is in the backfield.

Davis, who has been injured much of the season, complements ISU’s Big 12 top-ranked passing offense with a strong running presence.

Davis’ 247 rushing yards in the Cyclones’ 24-17 victory over Baylor last Saturday chewed up more yardage than Kansas averages per game. The Jayhawks average less than 199.5 total offensive yards per game.

“There’s no doubt that Darren is the best football player on the team,” ISU Coach Dan McCarney said. “I don’t think you’ll get an argument about that from anyone, players or coaches.”

Davis has rushed for 548 yards and three touchdowns this season, with an average of 5.6 yards per carry.

McCarney said the mental lift the team gets from having Davis in the lineup is just as important as his rushing statistics.

“He’s a big play waiting to happen every time he steps on the field,” he said. “It’s just a great emotional lift when you see him out there.”

Just as impressive as Davis’ rushing yards are the seven sacks the Cyclone defense recorded against Baylor.

Nose guard Greg Schoon and defensive back Kevin Wilson led the way for the Cyclones.

ISU had recorded only nine sacks in its first six games.

“We need to start seeing things happen from our front four or five when we turn people loose,” McCarney said.

“We didn’t get that from them in the first part of the season. The other team’s quarterbacks were getting way too comfortable sitting in the pocket.”

Kansas’ offensive woes this season have been a mystery to most people, especially since Allen’s teams at Northern Iowa consistently scored in the 30-point range.

One of the biggest mysteries on Kansas’ offense is senior Eric Vann.

Vann, a heralded running back going into the season, has averaged only 3.7 yards per carry this season.

“We have tremendous respect for the backs they have that hit the field for them,” McCarney said. “I know it’s been a frustrating year for Vann, because he is really an outstanding back and he really has not had the opportunities that he would have liked.”

The Jayhawk offense struggled last Saturday in a 35-0 loss to Nebraska, ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press.

Vann was Kansas’ leading rusher against Nebraska with 39 rushing yards on 13 carries and quarterback Zac Wegner completed 6 of 17 passes for a paltry 27 yards.

Nebraska has the top-ranked total defense in the Big 12 and is ranked fourth in Division I.

“We have been struggling offensively; it’s been a problem for us throughout the year,” Allen said. “Playing Nebraska’s defense didn’t help us either, because they have been playing well all season.”