Not one to throw in the towel, Head Football Coach Dan McCarney struggles on to get another win for the Cyclones.

“We are going into each of these three last games doing all that we can to win, not just to hang in there, or to make it competitive,” McCarney said.

“That is the thing that is really important right now — the attitude, the approach, how positive we are as a staff with these kids, so that we don’t go in here making apologies, but going in trying to win games.”

McCarney expects a tremendous challenge from Colorado.

“We have the utmost respect for the Buffaloes’ program — they are outstanding,” McCarney said. “We are almost a thirty point underdog this weekend.”

McCarney is looking for ways to finish the season strong.

“I said before this season started that this was a season of opportunities,” McCarney said. “And here we are, ten points away in these four close losses, of really being a fabulous college football story this year. We haven’t done it. We haven’t finished it. We didn’t complete those games, and yet the opportunities were there.”

McCarney believes that despite the record, much good has come out of the season.

“We have done a lot of positive things this year with our program. I think that we have moved forward,” McCarney said.

“We had some real tough losses, but we are going to continue to try to improve and to bring these kids along, and do all we can to make progress these last three weeks of the season.

“We just have to continue to try and improve, individually and collectively. The majority of the kids we are coaching everyday in practice are going to be back with us in March, when we start spring ball. So we want these kids not to lose their spirit, to continue to try to improve and see progress.”

McCarney was also pleased when looking back at the season thus far, and the accomplishments by the ISU fan base. With many sellouts this season, McCarney is looking forward to the future of ISU football. But McCarney plans for the future to be a winning future, which still is the toughest goal to achieve.

“When I took the job 23 months ago, I talked about bringing back fun and excitement and enthusiasm and winning. Three of these four we have done. That last hurdle, the toughest, is winning. Those other things we have done, and a lot of that has to do with the Iowa State fans, and they have been great. We have a great home field advantage.”

One person that really stands out this season is Troy Davis, on his attempt for back to back 2,000 yard seasons. If Davis reaches the 2,000-yard mark, he would be the first person in major college football to achieve such a feat in two consecutive years.

“It would be an unbelievable accomplishment. It all has to do with consistency, persistence, doing it week after week, doing it two years in a row, against two of the toughest schedules that this school has had in the history of the school,” McCarney said.

But the opponents that Davis and the Cyclones take on in the next three weeks will be decisive in Davis’ run for the Heisman trophy. Davis and company will have to face Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas State in the last three games of the season.

“Every one of these last three games will be extremely tough, because all three of them have three of the best defenses in college football, not just the Big 12, but in college football,” McCarney said.

The payoff will be big if Davis can obtain his goal.

“If you look at the names of the All-Time Consecutive Season Rushers, if [Davis] finishes strong, he could finish ahead of Marcus Allen, Mike Rozier, Tony Dorsett, and Herschel Walker. That’s two entire seasons that he could finish ahead of those guys who are the best that probably ever played in college football, and went on to have great NFL careers. It’s easy to take Troy Davis for granted. And yet he is doing things each week that backs in the history of this game have never done, and he has got an opportunity in the last three games to continue that pace,” McCarney said.

The Buffaloes are currently 7-1 overall and 5-0 in Big 12 play.