AMES -- College football rarely resembles abstract art or a page from the Great American Novel.

If the picture painted by Gene Chizik Monday means anything, creativity will put on a helmet Saturday at 6 p.m. when Iowa State meets Texas Tech in Lubbock.

The Cyclones must deal with the Red Raiders' aerial circus, an offense that leads the nation in passing at 523 yards per game. Quarterback Graham Harrell is No. 1 in total offense. Tech's top receiver, Michael Crabtree, catches 12 passes for 184 yards each Saturday.

"Are they easy to prepare for?" said Chizik in response to a question about the Red Raider attack. "I've prepared for them two different times, and they're really tough to prepare for. They really are now. They're averaging 610 yards (of total offense) and 55 points a game. So I guess other people have struggled to prepare for them, as well."

During his two seasons as the co-defensive coordinator for Texas, Chizik battled head coach Mike Leach and his multiple wide receiver sets twice. And the Longhorns won both games by scores of 52-17 and 35-31.

The keys for UT, said Chizik, were putting pressure on the quarterback and throwing different packages at the Red Raiders. At ISU, though, Chizik's hand is limited. His Cyclone defense doesn't possess the depth that he could tap at Texas.

So the head coach and coordinator Wayne Bolt must weigh their options and apply their imaginations.

"We're going to have to get creative in other ways," said Chizik. "We just have to look and see right now if there's linebackers that need to play defensive line or whether there's enough DBs (defensive backs) we feel can play and play some nickel and dime stuff. Those are areas we're looking at right now.

"Conceptually, I know what needs to be done because I've done it. You know what I mean? But you've got to mix in the whole picture, which is who's available to get that done."

Even a well-conceived game plan, admitted Chizik, may not be enough Saturday.

"There's only so much you can do on defense," he said. "A lot of times it comes down to, is your guy better than their guy? They've seen everything (you) can throw at it. They've seen every blitz known to man. There's not a blitz we could create that they have not seen. Over the last eight or nine years (Leach) has been doing it.

"They're very well-coached, and they have fun on offense. You can tell they love it. But I'd be having fun, too, if I was getting 610 yards a week."

The veterans on Iowa State's defense got a very long and difficult look at the Texas Tech offense a year ago at Jack Trice Stadium. Despite racking up 14 penalties, the Red Raiders rolled to a 42-26 victory as Harrell threw six touchdown passes, the most by an opposing quarterback against the Cyclones.

This season, ISU's defense is ranked a respectable sixth in the Big 12 Conference and 36th nationally. The players are well aware, though, that the challenge Saturday will be immense.

"We know we have to put pressure on their quarterback and slow down that offense," said defensive end Rashawn Parker. "They're a pretty high-explosive offense. It's a big game for us defensively."

Said cornerback Allen Bell, who was a junior college defender in 2006, "We're still up for it. It's going to be different. I haven't played in a game like this where they throw it 95 percent of the time. But it's going to be something."

When Chizik turned the spotlight on his own team Monday, he focused on two very familiar problems - turnovers and special teams.

He said the team is taking a hard look on film at every one of the seven lost fumbles and eight interceptions that have often spelled the difference between winning and losing for ISU on 2007.

"I think that tells the whole tale," said Chizik of the Cyclones' minus-eight turnover ratio. "If one word can really describe every loss - turnovers. We have them every game."

The tale of special teams will take another twist this week. Chizik said Iowa State has used starters on the punting team, to name one. Given that Nebraska set up a pair of touchdowns last weekend with long returns, the kickoff team may see an infusion of regulars.

"We're down to that point now, and there's no other choice," said Chizik.

Chizik was less certain about his rotation at tailback. While Jason Scales is now listed as No. 1 and the injured J.J. Bass as the backup, Chizik wouldn't commit to that arrangement Monday.

"We'll end up making a decision on who ends up being the starting guy later on," said the Cyclones' head coach.

TEXAS KICKOFF SET FOR TV - Iowa State's Oct. 13 Family Weekend football game against Texas in Jack Trice Stadium will kick off at 11:30 a.m. CDT and be televised nationally by Fox Sports Net.Â

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