LINCOLN, Neb. - The guests own a 1-3 record after blowing an 11-point lead in the final 5 minutes at Toledo.

The hosts are 3-1 after winning a week ago with a dramatic, fourth-quarter rally.

So, guess who's feeling more heat today?

Of course, it's the hosts, better known as Nebraska.

Today, the Cornhuskers welcome Iowa State to Memorial Stadium, where the Cyclones haven't won in 30 years. ISU, under new coach Gene Chizik, is still trying to push the program forward as Big 12 Conference play begins.

"The Big 12 is going to be tough," said Chizik. "It's going to be a tough deal for us. We have to learn from the first four games what we did good and what we did bad. There was a lot of good (last) Saturday - a lot of good. But it was very disappointing. Again, you have to have a short memory and move on. Let's get into the Big 12 Conference and see what happens."

A week ago, Nebraska wanted to see a robust, take-no-prisoners effort against Ball State after being humbled at home by top-ranked Southern California. Instead, the Huskers needed a clutch interception by linebacker Bo Ruud, an 11-yard touchdown pass by quarterback San Keller and a missed field goal with 17 seconds to go to beat Ball State, 41-40.

While the Huskers' offense gained 552 yards, the Blackshirt defense permitted Ball State a mind-boggling 610. Ball State? Nebraska's highest defensive yield in Memorial Stadium history happened in 1956, when Oklahoma rolled up 656 yards. Ball State missed knocking the mighty Sooners out of the record books by only 47 yards.

No one in Big Red territory was happy. The fans booed. Nebraska linebacker Steve Octavien ripped the fans and then apologized. But the questions remained about the defense and coordinator Kevin Cosgrove, who received the unqualified support of head coach Bill Callahan.

"We've been through some tough games, but I have no excuses relative to those games," said Callahan, who took Nebraska to the Big 12 North Division title in 2006. "We have to deal with it. We have to get better and look to improve it as fast as we can."

Once again, the Huskers believe there's one way to quiet the critics and ease the doubts.

"Offensively and defensively, we need a big breakout game," said Octavien. "A solid performance on offense and defense. We haven't reached maximum performance, and that is where our goal is."

Nebraska's offense seems to have that kind of effort within reach. Keller, the man who replaced Zac Taylor at quarterback, broke Taylor's yardage record (set against Iowa State two years ago) with 438 yards through the air in the Ball State win.

Two Huskers - h-back Sean Hill and wideout Maurice Purify - caught 100 yards worth of passes. That's the first time two Huskers have hit triple figures in receiving yards in a single game.

I-back Marlon Lucky caught 11 passes to set another Husker mark.

So Iowa State's defense faces its toughest test of the year. But ISU's total yardage figure has dropped to 305 this year from 392.2 through 12 games last season. The Cyclones say they're ready for Nebraska,.

"In the secondary we're pretty excited," said ISU cornerback Allen Bell. "We get excited when we hear we're playing a team that throws the ball a lot. It puts the game in our hands a little more. You always have the opportunity to make plays, which we all love to do. We're up for the challenge."

ISU's offense got up to 35 points at Toledo, a new high for an offense that stands last among Big 12 programs in scoring. Quarterback Bret Meyer, who leads active Division I quarterbacks with 40 straight starts, had his best game of 2007 against the Rockets. Running back J.J. Bass has established himself as a threat on the ground, while the passing game has used several receivers, most notably R.J. Sumrall and Todd Blythe.

Still, the Cyclones are publicly approaching the Nebraska defense with caution.

"Every game is played different," said center Brandon Johnson. "You can't take what one opponent did and key on that. It's a whole different game when you get there.

At the same time, Johnson said Iowa State can control its offensive destiny.

"The losses we've had we've beaten ourselves," he said. "If we keep the ball and don't turn it over, we'd be in a different situation. It's hard to say, but I think we have a good chance of competing with every team we play against as long as we don't turn the ball over and don't make mistakes like we have been."

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

Who: Iowa State (1-3) at Nebraska (3-1)

When: 1:05 p.m. today

Where: Memorial Stadium (81,067), Lincoln. Neb.

Television: None

Radio: Cyclone Radio Network (KCNZ 1650-AM)

Series history: Nebraska leads, 82-17-2

Last meeting: The Cornhuskers, breaking the game open with a late first-half touchdown pass from Zac Taylor to Maurice Purify, beat the Cyclones, 28-14 at Jack Trice Stadium on Oct. 7, 2006.

Key matchup: Alvin Bowen vs. Bo Ruud. Bowen, ISU's senior weakside linebacker, has returned to the top of the Cyclone tackle charts with 32 overall. He has matched his sack and interception total from a year ago with one each through four games. Bowen figures to be a busy man whether Nebraska tries to run right over Iowa State (as it did 12 months ago), blitz quarterback Sam Keller or clog up the short passing lanes favored in the West Coast offense. As for Ruud, the Huskers' senior linebacker turned around Saturday's near-debacle with Ball State when he returned an interception 34 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown. If Ruud and the rest of the much-criticized Cornhusker defense finds a way to improve in a hurry, Iowa State's offense could be in for a rough afternoon.

Can Iowa State win? The Cyclones have not fared well in Lincoln, losing 14 straight there. On the other hand, the last time Nebraska lost a conference home opener came against none other than Iowa State in 1977. The Cyclone veterans remember the 2005 game at Memorial Stadium when they nearly knocked off the Huskers. The question is, does the 2007 unit have the overall talent and composure to get the job done when it couldn't in Toledo?

Can Nebraska win? OK, the Huskers have history on their side, not to mention an explosive offense led by quarterback Sam Keller and a platoon of dangerous receivers like Terrence Nunn. Marlon Lucky is a double-threat on the ground and in the passing game. The Huskers should be tough to stop for any defense, although Iowa State's has been steadily getting better. As for the Blackshirts, they're taking plenty of heat for the loss to Southern California and the 610 yards of total offense rung up by Ball State. A lot of Big Red fans expected a dominant performance in the wake of the Trojan loss. It didn't happen then. Will it happen today?