AMES - Hacking through the tough times like an explorer wielding a machete, Gene Chizik discovered some fertile ground.

In other words, despite the 1-8 overall record, he sees signs of life in Iowa State's football team.

"Have we changed things?" asked Chizik in response to a question Monday. "No, I think we're getting better at some of the things we do. I thought we took a step backwards against Texas, but I think in the last two weeks we've settled down and played better."

Over that span, Iowa State led Oklahoma in the second half. The Cyclones tested Missouri on the road. Today, ISU hosts Kansas State in an 11:30 a.m. game televised on VERSUS. The question is, will the slow and sometimes painful pace of improvement pick up enough to give the Cyclones their first Big 12 Conference victory of the year?

A skeptic would point out the Cyclones haven't broken through against a league opponent yet, better play or not. Chizik is well aware of the record, but he notes the opposition has been very rugged over the past few weeks. With Kansas State, ISU will finish a stretch of six consecutive games against teams that reached a bowl in 2006.

Said Chizik, "One point I don't want to get lost in here is that we're playing better football teams than we played in the beginning of the year. I think that's obvious to everybody. If you throw that factor into the mix right there, there are some things we've done well."

For example, tailback Alexander Robinson darted to 149 yards rushing as Iowa State outgained Missouri, 389-366, in total offense. In the loss to Oklahoma, the Cyclones held the Sooners scoreless in the opening half, the first time that had happened to Bob Stoops' attack.

"They're getting better at the wrong time for us," said K-State head coach Ron Prince.

The problem for Iowa State has been sustaining the effort from quarter to quarter and week to week. A red zone offense that chalked up one touchdown in four cracks at Oklahoma went 2-for-3 at Missouri. A defense that hadn't scored a touchdown all year got one against the Tigers, thanks to Devin McDowell's interception return.

"It's safe to say we've gotten better every week," said ISU defensive end Rashawn Parker. "But we come up so short every week. We work so hard and at times it's hard to overcome those games. But we've got to keep working every week in practice and get better and come out each week with the same attitude of winning the ballgame."

Winning a ballgame is important to Iowa State, but it's also very significant to the opposition. If Kansas State prevails today, its record improves to 6-3. That mark buys the Wildcats bowl-eligibility for the second straight season. A win today would also keep Prince's team in the running for the Big 12 North Division title.

Kansas State has been good enough to beat Texas on the road and thump Colorado in Manhattan. It's lost tough games at Oklahoma State and Auburn.

The bad news for Iowa State may be - K-State is improving, too.

"I think we are getting into rhythm," said Wildcat wide receiver Jordy Nelson. "We are figuring everything out; we are getting comfortable. I think the coaches are maybe getting more comfortable with the plays that we are going to be good at, and we just have to continue."

The prospect of Nelson finding a comfort zone may make Iowa State sweat more than a little. A senior and a former walk-on, he has already caught 76 balls for 1,008 yards and seven touchdowns. Nelson is second in the nation - behind Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree - in receptions per game and yardage.

Quarterback Josh Freeman, who played well against Iowa State last season as a freshman, is completing 63.5 percent of his passes. He's third in air yards per game, trailing only Big 12 rivals Graham Harrell of Texas Tech and Missouri's Chase Daniel.

While K-State stands fifth among Big 12 defenses in yards allowed, the special teams may be even more troublesome for Iowa State. The Wildcats lead the nation in punt returns at 23.1 yards per attempt.

So the challenge confronting Iowa State is a familiar one - it has to get better.

"We're playing good ball at times, but at times we're playing bad ball," said Parker. "We have to eliminate, play as a team the whole game for four quarters and see if we can get a win the next three weeks."

Contact Jim Sullivan at (319) 291-1434 or jim.sullivan@wcfcourier.com

- Who: Kansas State (5-3, 3-2) at Iowa State (1-8, 0-5)

- When: 11:30 a.m., today

- Where: Ames (Jack Trice Stadium, 55,000)

- Television: VERSUS

- Radio: Iowa State Radio Network (KCNZ 1650-AM)

- Series history: Iowa State leads, 48-38-4

- Last meeting: A year ago in Manhattan, ISU grabbed an early 10-0 lead and then sputtered. K-State pulled away in the fourth quarter and rolled to a 31-10 victory. The Cyclones were hurt by a muffed punt, an interception return for a touchdown and the absence of wide receiver Todd Blythe, who was out with Epstein-Barr virus.

- Key matchup: Todd Blythe vs. Jordy Nelson. Two of the Big 12's premier wide receivers are taking the field in this game. Blythe just broke the Cyclones' career receptions mark held by Lane Danielsen. Nelson recently claimed K-State's single-season catches record; his total stands at 76. He's also second nationally in receptions per game (9.5) and yards per outing (126), trailing Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech in both departments. Nelson is a threat on special teams, returning two punts for scores in 2007. For Iowa State, containing Nelson while getting big plays from Blythe should be high in the priority list.

- Can Kansas State win? While K-State is unranked, the argument could be made that the Wildcats are just as formidable as past Iowa State foes like Texas and Missouri. After all, head coach Ron Prince's team beat the Longhorns by three touchdowns in Austin, hammered Colorado and blew out Baylor a week ago. And the 'Cats are lethal on special teams. They lead the nation in punt returns at 23.1 per attempt and top the Big 12 in net punting at 39.2. Then there's Josh Freeman, the league's third-ranked quarterback in passing yards. Summing it up, the Wildcats can test Iowa State in several areas where it would rather not be challenged at all.

- Can Iowa State win? The Cyclones have been very competitive in recent outings with Oklahoma and Missouri. They appear to be improving in key categories like rush offense, where Alexander Robinson gave the team a lift at Columbia. When Bret Meyer gets time to throw, he's been accurate, and the receiving corps gives him a multitude of reliable targets. Defensively, the Cyclones are forcing a few more turnovers and scored their first defensive touchdown of the year against Mizzou. The task for ISU today will be playing more consistent football across the board. If they can avoid the critical mistake and shut down Wildcats stars like Freeman and Nelson, the Cyclones could make it interesting.