Through two games this season, it looked like the preseason doubters of the ISU rushing attack were correct. That the running backs were inexperienced, unproven and lacking talent. 

The ISU rushing attack didn’t break the 100-yard mark in its first two games of the 2015-16 season and ranked in the lower-third of the NCAA when it came to any mainstream rushing statistic.

Then came Mike Warren. 

Warren, the redshirt freshman who had exactly zero live snaps in college before this season, exploded for the Cyclones on Sept. 19 against Toledo, running for 126 yards. He averaged 6.0 yards per carry, a more than two-yard increase from the team’s average yards per carry this season. 

Warren looked good on paper, but it also helped him in his head. The confidence acquired through such a performance is something that will assist him in improving his running throughout the season.

“I think it helps his confidence, not that he wasn’t confident to begin with,” said ISU offensive coordinator Mark Mangino. “He needed to get some experience and now he’s experienced success. And that’s always a confidence booster.

“Now he has a foundation to build on.”

But one game is one game, and Warren still has a lot of ground to cover before he can be considered a solid starting running back and propel the ISU running game back up from the bottom of the NCAA.  

“There’s a lot more people who expect more from me,” Warren said. “I’m OK with that. I have to push myself as well.”

Iowa State still plans to start Warren in the game on Saturday when the Cyclones take on the Kansas Jayhawks, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume he will get the bulk of the carries.

ISU coach Paul Rhoads said he still plans to use the three other running backs on his roster: Joshua Thomas, Tyler Brown and Trever Ryen.

But this is Warren’s job to lose heading into the matchup with Kansas, and this weekend will be a good test for him as a Big 12 running back.

“Nobody is accusing us of being one of the the nation’s best running teams,” Rhoads said. “So every week will remain a challenge for us until we start getting more than 200 yards on a consistent basis.”

Kansas’ defense conceded 312 yards on the ground, one piece in a puzzle that shows a troubling rush defense for the Jayhawks. They rank 99th in the NCAA in rushing yards allowed and 121st in rushing yards allowed per game. 

It may be a good chance for Warren to build confidence against a defense that may not put up as much of a fight as some other Big 12 defenses that the Cyclones will face as the season progresses.

But Iowa State isn’t taking bad defense for granted. It’s still going to be a challenge for an ISU team that dropped a game in Lawrence, Kan., last season. 

“Going into this game, Kansas is a good team,” Warren said. “They want to win too, and this game is going to be important to start off the Big 12 right.”

Kansas may not put up the best fight in terms of the ground game, but Iowa State might be fighting against itself — fighting to lay the foundation for consistent production on the ground on a week-to-week basis.

“I’ve seen progress, and I saw progress from last game,” Mangino said. “But now the key is consistency. We’ve got to be able to run the ball that way every week or better. We just have to, it’s going to be important.”

Iowa State will take on Kansas to attempt to go 1-0 in the Big 12 at 11 a.m. Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.