Kansas State head football coach Bill Snyder was calm and relaxed at the Kansas State postgame press conference on Saturday.

Snyder was pleased by his team’s 49-7 performance over Iowa State, but also impressed by the efforts of the nation’s leading rusher, ISU tailback Troy Davis.

Davis, who needed 353 yards to crack the 2,000-yard barrier, ran the ball 41 times for 183 yards against the No. 1 ranked defense in the country.

“We played well across the board, but that young back they have is really a fine player. Their offensive line did a fine job as well. We tried to stop him, but the little guy just sits back there and waits for that hole. I think he’s a very good back,” Snyder said.

“There have been two backs that have impressed me. One was Davis and the other was [Ahman] Green from Nebraska.”

Defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt had even more to say about the Cyclone Heisman candidate.

“I think he’s as good as we’ve seen. Everybody would like to say that they’ve stopped him, and we wish we could too, but we didn’t. I don’t know if we had him in control. He just kept gaining yards on us,” Leavitt said. “Nothing he did surprised me, just because of the hours and hours of video tape we’ve seen. He’s an awfully good back.”

Both Leavitt and Snyder declined to answer Heisman questions about Davis’ Heisman chances, and where they think he stands in the Heisman race.

“I don’t even want to say anything about that. I can’t answer that. He’s a really good back. That’s really all I can say,” Snyder said.

But Kansas State safety Chuck Marlow had something to say about Davis’ chances.

“Everybody is keying on Davis, and he’s still doing it. Everybody is keying on Frazier, and he’s still doing it. If I had to vote, I would split the vote between them,” Marlow said.

Marlow was then told by a reporter who’s also a Heisman voter that split votes aren’t allowed.

Marlow replied, “I’m glad I’m not in your shoes.”

Davis now needs 170 yards to break the 2,000-yard mark. Davis’ last chance will come next Saturday when the Cyclones travel to Columbia to take on the Missouri Tigers.

While Davis’ personal goal is achieving 2,000 yards, it’s also a goal that his teammates are striving for.

“It’s an individual goal, but it also brings notoriety to the school. It also has an impact on recruiting. So it is important for Troy to get it,” said ISU sophomore receiver Ed Williams.

Cyclone defensive lineman Sheldon Napastuk shared the feeling of importance for Davis to reach the rushing mark.

“I think it’s important. It’s good for the football team. It’s a good confidence builder for next season. It also gives us national attention,” Napastuk said.

Saturday’s game with Missouri will also mark the end of Dan McCarney’s first year as ISU head football coach.

The Cyclones’ record now stands at 3-7, while Missouri is 2-8. A win versus the Tigers would give ISU its fourth victory of the season, which says a lot when considering one year ago the Cyclones were winless.

“The job McCarney has done is excellent. We didn’t achieve what we wanted to this season, but without a doubt, I am looking forward to next season,” Napastuk said.

— The Associated Press contributed to this story.