The hunted is now the hunter.

Last week, the 1-AA Southeast Missouri Indians came to Peden Stadium with something to prove?that they could defeat a 1-A program in the Ohio Bobcats. Now this Saturday the Bobcats (1-0 on the year after a 17-3 win), hauling a similar chip on their shoulder, take on the Iowa State Cyclones from the powerful Big 12 conference in Ames, Iowa.

Iowa State is also 1-0 after a similar victory over a 1-AA foe, winning 17-10 over instate rival Northern Iowa.

Ohio and ISU aren't strangers, meeting in Ames this weekend for the third time in four years. ISU coach Dan McCartney, who has built a bowl-worthy football program from the debris of one of the worst 1-A programs in the county, knows how dangerous Ohio can be. Ohio lost to the Cyclones 25-15 at Ames in a 100-degree swelter in 2000 and fell 31-28 at Peden Stadium in Brian Knorr's home debut in 2001 that was delayed one week after 9/11. Neither game was decided until the fourth quarter.

Ohio coach Brian Knorr said his team carries the same attitude that many underdogs do, from 1-AA schools to service academies to under funded MAC programs.

"Most of the kids in our conference were not recruited by BCS conference schools," said Knorr. "It's much the same attitude as when I played at Air Force. Kids get up for those games. They want to prove people wrong."

With both teams putting up 17 points last week against supposedly inferior 1-AA competition, the media focus on this week's game will be on the sluggish offenses-and more specifically on the quarterback position. Iowa State is breaking in a new QB with redshirt freshman Austin Flynn, while Ohio has yet to settle on a full-time signal caller. Senior Freddie Ray and junior Ryan Hawk will continue to take snaps against ISU.

Flynn, the mobile 6-1, 190-pound Texan, has been hailed by some as a next-generation Seneca Wallace, who briefly emerged as a Heisman hopeful a year ago for ISU. Like Wallace, Flynn creates problems for defenses by making things happen with his feet and his arm. Like Wallace's 2001 visit to Athens, Flynn will face Ohio in his second game under center in an NCAA game.

In the opener against Northern Iowa, Flynn struggled at times but showed escapability and big-play ability with nine completions in 18 attempts for 158 yards. He threw one TD and one INT and scored the game-winner on a 3-yard run.

Knorr praised what he saw on tape of Flynn and his receivers, including All-American candidate Lane Danielson, who had 7 catches for 110 yards and a 15-yard TD run against Ohio in 2001. The recipient of a 48-yard pass that set up the game-winning TD against UNI, Danielson (6-0, 190) hauled in 63 passes for 1,073 yards a year ago. Several other returnees for ISU bring approximately a combined 150 catches for 2,000 yards from last season.

"I've been very impressed with Iowa State's skill," said Knorr. "Their wideouts are about as good as we'll see this year, probably close to Marshall's."

The Bobcat secondary, admirably parsimonious against SEMO, will need to improve against the Cyclones. Knorr said cornerbacks Dion Byrum (interception), Chip Cox (fumble recovery) and Thomas Wright (interception) all had exceptional performances against Southeast Missouri, but Knorr said the Iowa State receivers are more talented than SEMO's.

As for Ohio's offense, Knorr said that is the area in which he expects the most improvement from the opener, a game in which the OU offense never found any offensive rhythm. He said that Ohio has to be less benevolent (four fumbles against SEMO, all lost) and consume more clock during drives (four one-play drives, including two TDs, against SEMO) to improve continuity.

If fans are looking for grades of Ray and Hawk, the correct evaluation may be an "INC" rather than a letter grade. Both QBs will play against the Cyclones, said Knorr.

"It was tough to get some continuity amongst our quarterbacks," said Knorr. "I don't feel like Freddie or Ryan or Coach Gregory or myself felt like we had outstanding play at the quarterback position, and we know we have to get better to be more effective in the coming games.

"I don't think either quarterback has stepped away from the other one," he continued. "I think we'll stick with the same approach at Iowa State. If one of the other quarterbacks gets hot or is more effective than the other, we'll stick with him."

To address the fumble problem, Knorr said he expected practice to be more physical this week. Unlike much of summer practice the defense will be taking runners to the turf this week, he said. During two-a-days, the team sometimes restricted hitting on backs for health concerns. Knorr said he also plans to have the scout team work on stripping the ball from the starters. He pointed out that three out of the four fumbles against SEMO were contact-related.

"That's concentration and something we have to emphasize and work on," said Knorr. "We won't beat anybody else on our schedule if we fumble four times."

Turnovers might be the biggest factor in pulling an upset. Beating a BCS school at their place isn't exactly new ground for Ohio, but it has been rare. Knorr was an assistant on the 1997 OU team that won 21-14 at Maryland and the 2000 team that won 23-17 at Minnesota, which later that season beat Ohio State. In those two games, Ohio lost a total of two turnovers. Not perfect, but not sloppy.

This year's OU team has something in common with the 1997 team; it opened the season at home on the last Thursday in August with a win. The game against SEMO was the first home opener for Ohio since 1997. The 2003 Cats also have something in common with the 2000 team by playing Minnesota following ISU.

"Very few Mid-American Conference teams get the opportunity to open at home, and our kids took advantage of it," said Knorr. "Ohio University has been 1-0 three times in the last 24 years. Now we have a challenge to go out and beat a BCS program."