The Iowa State Cyclones host 20th-ranked Nebraska on Saturday looking to earn respect. Iowa State coach Dan McCarney says the recent games with Nebraska have been physical mismatches.In the last five years, the Huskers have outscored the Cyclones by an average of 53-to-15. McCarney says it is up to the Cyclones to go out and gain respect. He says no one at Nebraska will respect them until they earn it.McCarney says the Cyclones are happy this game is garnering some national attention and calls it an opportunity for the program.Iowa opens Big Ten action at 12th ranked Penn State. After back-to-back losing seasons, Penn State is 3-0, including a lopsided win over Nebraska. Ferentz says added experience has helped Penn State this season. He says the bottom line is they have good football players who’re playing good football.Ferentz says Penn State should be considered one of the favorites the league race along with Ohio State and Michigan who started the season as the favorites.To this point, the Iowa defense has faced teams that spent most of their time throwing the ball. Ferentz says this week the defensive line will face the challenge of slowing down Penn State’s ground attack.Penn State coach Joe Paterno says the Hawks have an outstanding offensive line and have added speed this season. He says it’s a very well balanced football team. Paterno says the first concern for the Nittany Lions is Iowa’s ground game. He says they have to stop the running game to keep the Hawkeyes from grinding down the clock.
