Cyclones ready for hungry Longhorns

AMES - Payback.

Revenge.

Redemption.

When you get on Texas' bad side - as Iowa State did by beating the Longhorns for the first time in school history last season at Austin - there's no forgiving and forgetting from the Burnt Orange bunch.

“I know that's one of the things on their mind - we came to their home field and we beat them,” said Cyclone cornerback Jeremy Reeves, an Allen, Texas, native who snared one interception in last year's landmark, 28-21, triumph. “Now they're talking about, ‘It's revenge now.' They want to come to our home field and beat us, so I know it's a big thing on their mind.”

The No. 17 Longhorns, a devastating 5-7 last season, have circled several dates on the 2011 schedule.

It's debatable whether certain dates, such as Saturday's, fuel the revenge factor more than others.

“I think Texas' (focus) is big picture,” said ISU Coach Paul Rhoads, whose 3-0 team stands one win away from its best start since 2000. “When you're at a program like Texas, you circle January 6th, or whatever the date for the national championships is. That's the date you circle. They want to erase anything in 2010 that didn't put them in direction toward that, so every week, they're motivated to win one more football game. ... Everybody's going to see a hungry football team all season long.”

The Longhorns (3-0) have won less than nine games in a season once since 1998.

They enter Saturday's 6 p.m. Big 12 opener in Ames on a five-game conference losing streak - a skid started by ISU's win last season at Austin.

“I thought they out-coached us, outplayed us and outhit us,” Texas Coach Mack Brown said in Monday's league teleconference. “Beat us on our own turf, so it will be a real challenge.”

The Longhorns pose a serious threat, too.

Brown said they'll continue to play two quarterbacks - Case McCoy and David Ash - based on game situations and already exorcised a 2010 demon by trouncing UCLA, 49-20, Sept. 17 on the road.

“Without a doubt, they have great talent, as good a talent as anybody in the country,” Rhoads said.

Texas ranks 10th nationally in total defense, yielding 258.7 yards per game.

Its pass defense is particularly stout, allowing 154 yards, which ranks ninth-best in the country.

“They're coached well,” said Cyclone quarterback Steele Jantz, who has led three fourth-quarter comebacks this season. “Anytime you get a combination of great athletes being coached well, you're going to get a good defense, and that's exactly what they are.”

The Longhorns, like ISU, didn't play a game last Saturday. The Cyclones, Rhoads said, are as healthy as they've been all season.

“We got exactly what we wanted from it,” Rhoads said. “To rest, rehab and recruit.”

Jantz said his sprained left foot continues to mend.

“(It's) not 100 (percent),” said Jantz, who earlier noted the injury severely curtailed his mobility in the second half of the win at UConn. “But come Saturday, whatever it is, I'm going to go, so, I'm not really worried about it.”

Brown's concerned about the resurgent Cyclones - and not just because of last year's defeat.

“I do think right now Iowa State should be rated,” the Texas coach said. They're 3-0. They finished the season great last year, so I feel like they're a team that has not gotten the justice that they should have at this point.”