Northern Iowa @ Iowa State preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2011 ) Northern Iowa 19, Iowa State 20

Iowa State hopes to start its quest for a third straight trip to a postseason bowl game off on the right foot when it hosts Northern Iowa in the season opener Saturday night. The Cyclones are 4-0 in season openers under coach Paul Rhoads and have won nine of their last 10 opening games overall.

Northern Iowa is expecting a bounce-back season after it missed the FCS playoffs for the first time in three years in 2012. Coach Mark Farley returns 13 starters, including sophomore QB Sawyer Kollmorgen, who ranked second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in total offense with 228.4 yards per game as a freshman.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, no TV. LINE: Iowa State -9.5

ABOUT NORTHERN IOWA (2012: 5-6, 4-4 MVFC): The season hasn't even begun yet and the Panthers are dealing with a major loss: the season-ending knee injury suffered by junior receiver Brian LeMaster (32 catches, 18.8 YPC in 2012). Farley is confident in the depth of the receiver position, though, saying there should be a number of capable replacements on the roster. "We've got multiple receivers we can run in there," Farley told the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. "They can stay fresh and we should be as fast at the end of the game as we are at the beginning."

ABOUT IOWA STATE (2012: 6-7, 3-6 Big 12): The Cyclones got a glimpse of Sam Richardson at the end of last season, and now the sophomore is the starter at quarterback and expected to provide a little pep to the offense. While the ISU defense was third in the Big 12 in 2012, allowing 23.9 points a game, the offense ranked ninth, averaging 24.5. Richardson played in the last three contests and threw for 542 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. “The main thing is taking advantage of the shots that are given to us,” Richardson told the Ames Tribune. “That will definitely improve this year.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Iowa State leads the all-time series 20-4-3, including a 20-19 victory in their last encounter to kick off the 2011 season.

2. Northern Iowa RB David Johnson has done well against FBS opponents, amassing 398 combined all-purpose yards against Iowa State (2011), Wisconsin (2012) and Iowa (2012).

3. The Cyclones have held opponents under 40 points in 20 straight games, the best active streak in the Big 12.

PREDICTION: Iowa State 28, Northern Iowa 14