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FACTS & STATS: Site: Arrowhead Stadium (79,451) -- Kansas City, Missouri. Television: FCS. Home Record: Kansas St. 2-0, Iowa St. 2-1. Away Record: Kansas St. 0-2, Iowa St. 1-0. Neutral Record: Kansas St. 0-0, Iowa St. 0-0. Conference Record: Kansas St. 0-0, Iowa St. 0-0. Series Record: Iowa State leads, 49-39-4.

GAME NOTES: The Big 12 Conference slate gets underway for the Kansas State Wildcats and Iowa State Cyclones, as the two are set to square off at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri this Saturday.

Kansas State snapped a two-game skid by beating up on Tennessee Tech last weekend, 49-7. The early-season returns had not been promising for a K-State squad that squeaked by UMass and then lost to UL-Lafayette in the first two weeks. Now the dress rehearsal is over, and the Wildcats are out to prove they won't be a doormat in the Big 12 this year.

Meanwhile, Iowa State is coming off consecutive double-digit wins over Kent State (34-14) and Army (31-10). But the Cyclones played three of their first four games at home, and now the real test begins. In addition to kicking off their Big 12 schedule this weekend, the Cyclones will also be playing four of their next five games outside of Ames.

ISU holds a 49-39-4 edge in the all-time series between these two schools.

After sputtering along through the first three games of the season, the K- State offense finally got its act together last week against Tennessee Tech. Led by Daniel Thomas, the Wildcats posted their highest rushing total since 2005 as they piled up 296 yards and five scores on the ground. Thomas accounted for a good chunk of that production, as he ran for a career-high 139 yards and two scores. The season-high 49 points was four points more than the team had amassed in its previous three games combined. Of course, return specialist Brandon Banks had a lot to do with that, as he became the first player in Big 12 history ever to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game. While a repeat performance is unlikely against a stronger opponent this weekend, the fact that the Wildcats got their ground game kick started is nevertheless an encouraging sign.

As with the offense, there wasn't a whole to nitpick about with the K-State defense last time out. After all, the Wildcats held the Golden Eagles to just 107 total yards, including minus-19 yards rushing. It was the lowest yardage output against the Wildcats since Ball State managed just 53 total yards on September 16, 2000. And with that effort, K-State catapults to No. 10 in the nation in total defense (241.2 ypg). The Wildcats haven't allowed more than 23 points in a game this season, but then again, they've yet to face a Big 12 opponent. Sophomore linebacker Alex Hrebec led the charge last week with a team-high 10 tackles, including three for a loss. The team will look to Hrebec and sophomore defensive back Tysyn Hartman (team-high 21 tackles, three INTs) to make some more plays against ISU.

The Cyclones can thank their run game -- and a relatively soft schedule -- for their 3-1 start. They are averaging 207.2 rushing ypg, which ranks 21st in the nation and fourth in the conference. Alexander Robinson had a big day last week against Army, as he ran for 127 yards and scored three touchdowns. Robinson, who now has 453 rushing yards after four games, became the first Cyclone since 2000 to record three straight 100-yard rushing games. That, despite new head coach Paul Rhoads' statement that the offense is still in its infantile stages. Quarterback Austen Arnaud contributes with his legs (238 rushing yards, four TDs) but needs to continue to develop his passing skills. He is completing a rather modest 54.9 percent of his passes and is averaging just 156.2 passing ypg.

Army entered last week's game ranked seventh in the nation with an average of 258 rushing ypg. But the Cyclone defense stifled the Black Knights' option attack to the tune of 186 yards and only 3.9 ypc. They also held Army to 3- of-16 on third-down conversions. Linebacker Jesse Smith highlighted the ISU defense with a team-high 13 tackles, including 11 solo efforts. Fellow linebacker Fred Garrin had nine stops, including two for loss. On the season, Smith leads the team with 37 tackles to go along with a forced fumble and three quarterback hurries. Garrin is next in line with 28 stops in addition to two forced fumbles. The Iowa State defense is designed to flourish only if those two are flying around the field and making plays. And so far, that has been the case.

Both teams are coming off solid performances, albeit against inferior opponents. Now they'll face one another at a neutral site. A big key for ISU will be whether or not Arnaud can make plays in the passing game against what has been a stout K-State defense. If he is not able to stretch the field, the Wildcats will be able to load the box and focus on stopping Robinson.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Kansas State 27, Iowa State 23