Ranked Cyclones still 'dogs at revenge-minded OSU

AMES - Oklahoma State would have played for the national championship last season had it not been for Iowa State.

The Cyclones' come-from-behind, nationally-televised 37-31 double-overtime triumph over the Cowboys last November drilled through BCS-crusted college football bedrock.

Roars of approval rang from Alabama sports bars.

Stunned silence prevailed back in Stillwater - and among orange-and-black clad players who shuffled off the Jack Trice Stadium turf, dodging a mob of exultant fans that engulfed the field.

“It sat in my stomach a little bit,” Oklahoma State defensive end Tyler Johnson said this week. “But once it was over, I kind of dropped it.”

So the Cowboys won't rely on revenge as a subplot for Saturday's 11 a.m. FX-televised rematch with ISU (4-2, 1-2) at Boone Pickens Stadium.

For 60,000 or so Homecoming fans, however ...

“They will,” said Cyclone coach Paul Rhoads, whose team enters the game as - what else? - a two-touchdown underdog. “I'm looking forward to it. Haven't been to the revamped stadium. Last time I was there was back in the '90's, watching R.W. McQuarters return a punt to the end zone and saw the big stands all rise up at one point. That was not a good day for the Iowa State Cyclones.”

Expect Oklahoma State to enjoy an initial boost from its home crowd.

Weathering that - and the Cowboys' top-10 across the board offense - will prove critical to ISU's hopes of achieving its fourth conference road upset in the Rhoads era.

“Focus and execution,” said Cyclone running back Jeff Woody, who barreled into the end zone for the winning score last season against Oklahoma State. “Emotion can only get you so far in a game.”

The Cowboys will have to settle on a starting quarterback.

Redshirt freshman J.W. Walsh is a dual-threat player, compiling nine touchdowns to three interceptions while rushing for 208 yards.

True freshman Wes Lunt won the starting job out of camp, but has been hampered by injury since a four-touchdown, three-interception passing performance in a 59-38 loss at Arizona in week two.

“The both do a great job and do what's asked of them,” Cyclone linebacker Jake Knott said. “They get the ball in their playmakers hands and they have plenty of them.”

The Cyclones counter with their first consistently potent pass rush in recent memory.

ISU has ranked no higher than 88th nationally in sacks the past five seasons.

The Cyclones stand 48th now at 2.2 per game.

“We've learned from the past,” said defensive end Roosevelt Maggitt, who has a team-best 2.5 sacks.

Maggitt, Jake McDonough, Cleyon Laing and company lead the Big 12 with nine sacks during conference play.

That number - nine - also corresponds to the number of ISU players who have taken part in a quarterback takedown.

“The rotation helps a great deal,” said Rony Nelson, a situational pass rusher with two sacks. “Getting fresh legs out there, the O-line can't seem to keep up. You've got to match up with speed and then the other guy is faster than the guy before.”

Count Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy among those impressed by the Cyclones' defense.

“They may have the best crew inside and play as well together as anybody that we have in our league,” Gundy said.

That maturity-based cohesion will be required Saturday - especially in the game's nascent moments, as the crowd swells and emotions swirl.

“I know they're going to come out ready to punch us in the mouth,” Nelson said. “We just need to punch back.”