There is the scent of blood in the air in Ames, Iowa, a smell that hasn't exactly been uncommon around the Iowa State Cyclones' campus during previous Nebraska weeks.

Except that this time it's not their own.

Nevada Taking No Chances

Thirteen months ago Chance Kretschmer was a walk-on third-team halfback with hopes of contributing whatever he could to the Nevada Wolf Pack. Four months later he was the nation's leading rusher. Nevada, trying to stay a step ahead, prepared for what they figured would happen next -- nine-man fronts and defenses sold on forcing the Wolf Pack to beat them through the air. When Kretschmer went down on his first carry against BYU earlier this month, lost for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the Wolf Pack was ready. "We had to shift gears,'' said coach Chris Tormey, "and get away from the running game." But not too far, at least in terms of philosophy. Nevada is averaging only 4.5 fewer rushes a game with speedy freshman Matt Milton filling in for hard-running Kretschmer, and has substituted a short, quick passing game off play-action. One form of ball control for another. The result has been that in back-to-back weeks quarterback Zach Threadgill has thrown for 400 yards and four touchdowns and earned WAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Receiver Nate Burleson, who bulked up and switched to flanker this year to allow him to operate more in space, leads the nation in catches per game. Two weeks ago he used that ability to start and stop quickly to turn a 2-yard swing pass into a 95-yard touchdown. With Threadgill and Burleson hooking up and Milton steadily improving, the Wolf Pack has shocked BYU and beaten Rice, serving notice they aren't a one-man offense. They've got chance to build on that success Saturday against No. 25 Colorado State, a team that has struggled defensively this season. Threadgill said the Wolf Pack isn't done. "We kind of got a list of guys that have been beating us up the last couple of years,'' he told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "BYU was on that list. Rice was on that list. And Colorado State is on that list." -- Mark Wangrin

Hours before the Cyclones beat Troy State last week to set up this potential North Division palace coup, Cyclones fans were parading around in T-shirts calling out the Huskers. During the fourth quarter, when the outcome of the 42-12 win was no longer in doubt, the fans chanted the unbelievable: "We want Nebraska! We want Nebraska!"

This strange turn of events has coach Dan McCarney, whose teams have lost seven straight times to the Huskers by an average margin of 40.4 points, playing an unusual role. He's not trying to build confidence, he's trying to rein it in on a team that's not only ranked higher than the Huskers by the Associated Press (19th compared to 20th), but is also favored by one point.

It might as well be a hundred.

"It's shocking to hear that,'' McCarney said. "Especially when we haven't even made a game out of it with Nebraska since I've been here. Instead of men against boys, like it's been, I hope this year it's men against men."

"Everybody is really excited around here,'' said ISU quarterback Seneca Wallace. "Nebraska's not too far from here. And there are a lot of people in Iowa who are Nebraska fans."

Next door, in the grand state of Nebraska, there is despair. Former player turned television analyst Trev Alberts said the season-opening 40-7 loss to Penn State was "embarrassing."

Other players are calling for the Blackshirts to be taken away from the defense because of their generous play. Every Internet and talk radio Nostradamus is predicting apocalyptic visions of Cornhusker football as warm and fuzzy as a nuclear winter.

"The only thing you do when you listen to what outside people say is paint a picture you don't want painted,'' said NU coach Frank Solich. "It can only drag you down."

"Every time Nebraska loses we go into panic mode in our state, because people aren't used to seeing us lose,'' said NU rush end Chris Kelsay.

Kelsay and his fellow captains called a players' only meeting last week, the first time that's happened in Lincoln since the bruises were still fresh from Colorado's 62-36 mauling in Boulder. They better have better material this time. NU came out of that meeting to lose 37-14 to Miami in the national title game.

During an open date the Huskers worked on restoring the confidence in a defense that was ripped for 476 total yards -- 217 on the ground -- by Penn State. This is history -- the first time NU's needed an open date to get ready for ISU. ISU usually has been an open date, or the next best thing to it, for the Cornhuskers.

ISU, behind all the hype, has worries of its own. The Cyclones have an average rush defense and haven't been able to run the ball consistently in their last two games.

The Cyclones are favored primarily because of the volatile ability of Wallace, who hasn't been the running threat this year he's been in the past but has passed defenses silly and came within a yard of potentially forcing overtime in the Cyclone's 38-31 opening game loss to Florida State.

For all his talents, Wallace's biggest plus may be his ability to produce when needed. ISU leads the Big 12 in red zone efficiency, with 23 scores in 26 trips inside the opponent's 20, and Wallace is a third-down charm. He's 29 of 41 passing on third down, with 24 of those completions going for first downs.

Wallace's biggest conversion could come Saturday, when a strong performance and a Cyclone win could turn him from a Heisman contender to a favorite. ISU's sports information department is poised to step up what's been a very modest promotional campaign next month with mailings of highlight video and glossy flier.

"I don't even think about that,'' Wallace said. "I'll just try to play my game and let that take care of the rest."

Rest assured that if he does, it will.

Around the Big 12

Baylor
Baylor finally got a pass rush against Tulsa, getting six sacks. Noticeably silent this year has been end A.C. Collier, who had six sacks last year in as many starts but has yet to notch one this year. ... Among the many areas Baylor needs improvement is in holding onto the ball. The Bears have committed 14 turnovers in four games. Solace for the Bears -- the NCAA record for turnovers in a season is 61, set by North Texas in 1971 and tied by Tulsa in '76.

Colorado
Colorado got some bad news this week. After being advised to take some time to come back from his fourth concussion, junior quarterback Craig Ochs has elected to withdraw from school and evaluate his options. Ochs, who played as a true freshman in 2000, will apply for a medical redshirt. On the bright side, senior Robert Hodge shook off a shaky start against UCLA to play well in the Buffaloes win. It didn't hurt that the Buffs rediscovered their running game, rushing for 325 yards against the Bruins. The return of guard Karl Allis (foot) and Drew Shader (shoulder) will help as CU prepares to open Big 12 play Oct. 5 at Kansas State, which has become the favorite to win the North in light of the troubles CU and Nebraska have faced.

Iowa State
Iowa State will have to rediscover its rushing attack to have a solid chance against Nebraska. The Cyclones ran for only 68 yards, a dismal 1.9 yard per carry average, in last week's win over Troy State. Hiawatha Rutland, who showed signs of helping the Cyclones add to their seven-year streak of having a 1,000-yard rusher, has run for only 83 in the last two games. Getting guard Luke Vander Sanden back is key. Vander Sanden broke his ankle on Aug. 9 and played against Troy State, two weeks earlier than expected.

Kansas
Kansas has multiple problems in Mark Mangino's first year as head coach but the most troublesome may be in the offensive line, where the Jayhawks struggled against Bowling Green in giving up four sacks and rushing for only 89 yards. Rush defense isn't far behind -- KU has given up at least 275 yards rushing in all three losses. The chant heard emanating from the small number of Bowling Green fans, whose team has beaten back-to-back Big 12 foes, is one they aren't likely to hear in Lawrence any time soon -- "Big 12 Champs, Big 12 Champs." A cure -- a temporary one at least -- comes to Lawrence this week in the form of Tulsa, which has lost 14-straight games, the longest streak in Division I-A. ... Silver Lining: Junior defensive back Remuise Johnson has three interceptions, the most any Jayhawk DB has had in a season since 1996.

Kansas State
Kansas State's 27-20 win over USC cleared up one lingering question even as it revived another. It gave coach Bill Snyder his first win over a ranked non-conference opponent in his 14 years in Manhattan and showed the Wildcats are for real but it also brought back the long-standing quarterback controversy between Marc Dunn and Ell Roberson. Roberson relieved an ineffective Dunn and threw for a touchdown and ran for another, which would be enough to win him the job if he hadn't had two costly fumbles -- one into the USC end zone and one that was returned for a touchdown. Asked if he was the Wildcats' new starter, Snyder only said, "He is one of our quarterbacks."

Missouri
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel has said he hopes to get sophomore running back Tyron Roberson, whose strength is speed, more carries. Pinkel has not been satisfied with Zach Abron, who sometimes forgets what he is -- a power back. Freshman Mario Whitney hasn't had the impact expected of a player who was rated as one of the top running back prospects in the nation. He's carried five times in three games but has only 7 yards. ... If Mizzou wins it would have three victories, a number bettered by the Tigers in only seven of the last 18 seasons.

Nebraska
Nebraska just isn't Nebraska this year. The Cornhuskers are not up to their usual standards running the ball. They still lead the Big 12 with a 255.5 yard per game average, but that would be their lowest since 1998. And it's been six games since they've had an I-back rush for triple digits. You'd have to go back to 1972 for the last time NU opened the season without a 100-yard rusher through four games. ... Nebraska has a monster streak on the line against ISU. The Huskers have been ranked in the AP top 20 for 348 straight weeks. The last time they were out of the top 20 was in the Oct. 10, 1981 poll, a problem they rectified with a 59-0 rout of Colorado. ... They've also won 27 straight conference openers.

Oklahoma
Just when it looked like Oklahoma would regain the services of backup quarterback Brent Rawls, he was lost for six weeks with a concussion after falling out of the back of a pickup truck. Rawls was close to being cleared to practice again after a thumb injury. Freshman Paul Thompson remains the backup and classmate Noah Allen is the third option, though the Sooners still hope to redshirt him. ... Starting quarterback Nate Hybl is doing what the Sooners need him to do. He hasn't thrown an interception in 54 attempts this year and ranks ninth in the nation in pass efficiency rating. He's also gotten more comfortable throwing the deep ball, something the Sooners have tried to work more into the offense. ... OU has played 12 freshman in its first three games, as many as in the last two years combined.

Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State's opponents have had their hands full with receiver Rashaun Woods, but now they've got to deal with his younger brother. True freshman D'Juan Woods got his first playing time against SMU and caught one ball for 47 yards. OSU coaches, who've compared D'Juan favorably with his brother, the Big 12 leader in receiving yards per game, have used Rashaun in the slot and D'Juan outside of him in practice. OSU plans to mount its biggest promotional campaign since the days of Barry Sanders, when the school send out fishing hats and posters of the elder angling-loving Woods holding his big catch -- a fish.

Texas
Texas is banged up heading into this week's non-conference game against Tulane, with receiver Roy Williams (hamstring) and punt returner/cornerback Nathan Vasher (ankle) listed as questionable. Even with an upcoming string of games against Oklahoma, Kansas State, Iowa State and Nebraska in successive weeks, coach Mack Brown said he won't rest them over the next two weeks if they're healthy to play. "I've learned that at Texas there's nothing down the road,'' he said. "You've got to win the next one to get to the road." ... The Horns played defensive tackle Larry Dibbles and receiver Robert Timmons against Houston, pushing the number of players from the consensus No. 1 recruiting class who've played to 10. ... The Tulane game features a pair of interesting family feuds. Texas guard Beau Baker will get a chance to block his younger brother Blake, the Green Wave's starting middle linebacker. And Tulane running backs coach Greg Davis Jr. is the son the Longhorn offensive coordinator.

Texas A&M
Texas A&M's mission to improve an offense that ranked 106th in the nation has proven to be more difficult than the Aggies expected. Through three games A&M is ranked 106th, though that includes games against Pitt (No. 7 in total defense) and Virginia Tech (16th). ... A&M's offensive woes -- the Aggie offense has been held without a touchdown in three of its last seven games -- could convince coach R.C. Slocum to go with freshman Reggie McNeal at quarterback. Slocum has likened McNeal's leadership and mobility to that of former A&M quarterback Bucky Richardson, who led A&M to a Southwest Conference title in 1987 as a freshman. ... It was a bad week to be named Johnson. A&M's Bethel Johnson and Texas' B.J. Johnson had their first career game without a catch, ending individual streaks at 25 and 27 games respectively.

Texas Tech
Texas Tech heads into a rare Friday night game with New Mexico with hopes of a balanced offense. Using more two tight end formations that utilized Preston Hatfield and Clay McGuire, the Red Raiders ran for 202 yards rushing against North Carolina State after struggling in their first three games. Taurean Henderson, who got the start because of a thigh injury to Foy Munlin, ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns. ... Quarterback Kliff Kingsbury threw for three touchdowns against NC State to become the Big 12's all-time leader in touchdown passes (61), one more than the old record set by Texas' Major Applewhite (60). ... Defensive tackle Clayton Harmon's status for the New Mexico game is uncertain because of a back injury.

Around the WAC
Louisiana Tech junior running back Ralph Davis has gone from redshirt candidate to Joe Smith's top backup. Still, Tech's running game needs a boost after gaining only 41 yards on 23 carries against Penn State. ... Fresno State had injury added to insult in its 59-19 loss to Oregon State. Not only was it Pat Hill's worst loss in his six years at the school, but quarterback Jeff Grady got a right hip pointer, his second of the season. Grady hurt his left hip against Wisconsin. His status for the Bulldogs' WAC opener at Rice is uncertain. ... Hawaii cornerback Abraham Elimimian, the Warriors' top cover corner, is expected to miss two games (against SMU and Boise State) with a hamstring strain. ... UTEP controlled the ball for 38 minutes against Hawaii but lost 30-7, a result that's hardly surprising. The Miners are 2-6 all-time when holding the ball for at least 38 minutes. ... Rice's spread option attack hasn't done what it's supposed to do -- control the clock. The Owls have lost the time of possession battle in two of their three losses this season. This week's opponent, Fresno State, averages only 27:45 time of possession. ... SMU starting strong safety Alvin Nnabuife may have one of the oddest possible season-ending injuries on record. The sophomore had surgery to remove swollen lymph nodes in his chest, a condition caused by an ingrown hair under his left arm. ... San Jose State's reserve safety Neil Parry won't be able to play against UTEP this weekend, dashing plans for his triumphant return against the team his Spartans were playing two years ago when he injured his leg, ultimately causing it to be amputated below the knee. Parry has been experiencing too much swelling while practicing with the team and his prosthesis will not fit properly. ... Nevada's looking for its second win over a top 25 opponent in a three-week stretch when it plays No. 25 Colorado State on Saturday. ... Boise State is hoping to get kicker Nick Calaycay (knee) and punter Keith Schuttler (Achilles) back from injuries soon, filling an urgent need. With the pair sidelined Boise has made only 1 of 5 field goals and is averaging only 29.7 yards a punt. ... Tulsa has done away with the suspense this year. Heading into the Hurricane's game at Kansas, they've given up 45 points in the first quarter of their last two games. They hadn't scored a touchdown in the first quarter until last week's loss to Baylor. ... For all of UTEP's offensive woes -- the Miners have scored only 23 points in their last three games -- pass protection isn't one of the bigger ones. Opponents have sacked the Miners quarterback seven times in four games this year after averaging 3.2 per game last season.

Mark Wangrin covers college football for the San Antonio News-Express.