WEST POINT, N.Y. - The Old Coach Network transmitted a warning to Dan McCarney this summer. Be ready for Bobby Ross, because he'll be ready for you.

When the subject of Bobby Ross came up at an Iowa State fund-raiser this summer, Earle Bruce offered his opinion. The former Cyclone head coach told the present man in charge, "The best prepared head coach and staff in all his years of coaching was Bobby Ross and his staff."

Tuesday, McCarney made it clear. When Iowa State travels to West Point for Friday's 7 p.m. game against Army, he's ready to meet a coaching legend.

Ross, in his second year at Army, owns a glittering resume even if he hasn't turned the Black Knights' fortunes into gold. He coached Georgia Tech to a share of the 1990 national championship. During a tour in the NFL, Ross led San Diego to its only Super Bowl appearance, where the Chargers lost to San Francisco.

And now it's McCarney vs. Ross on ESPN2.

"I mean, this is an honor," said the Cyclones' head man. "This is one of the unbelievable things I get a chance to do as a head coach - coach against the legendary coaches. Bobby Ross is one of those."

McCarney added, "We know he's going to be prepared."

One of the questions revolving around the final non-conference game of the regular season was, how prepared will Iowa State be for a rare Friday night game? ISU hasn't done that in 46 years.

While the pre-game routine will be altered, the Cyclone players and coaches say it's a fade pattern to hometowns and prep football.

"There isn't one of our players or coaches who didn't play or coach on Friday night," said McCarney.

Said offensive tackle Aaron Brant, "It'll be pretty nice. We're going back to high school days, playing on Friday nights under the lights. It'll be a real fun experience, going across the country and seeing a different team we don't normally get to see. It'll be a great opportunity for us."

What the Cyclones will actually see at Michie Stadium is another matter. Army is the place where Doc Blanchard, Glen Davis and Pete Dawkins carried away the Heisman Trophy, and Red Blaik ran a powerhouse. All of that, though, is history. The Black Nights' last winning season came in 1996, and they're now laboring through a seven-game losing streak.

McCarney has also said his players must guard against being distracted by the presence of 4,000 cadets at Michie Stadium. Yet, Army drew just over 31,000 fans to its opener loss against Baylor. Michie holds 40,000.

Still, McCarney said Iowa State must be ready for Army's best.

"There are a lot of reasons we know this will be a tough game for us," said the Cyclones' head coach.

When Iowa State has the ball

The Cyclones will see an Army defense that's gone to the 4-3. In a 20-10 loss to Baylor, the Black Knights allowed just 351 total yards, their lowest figure since Alabama-Birmingham posted 337 at West Point two years ago. Army also intercepted two passes and forced a Bear fumble. Caleb Campbell, a strong safety, made 13 tackles against Boston College.

But that game against the Eagles also indicates that Army is far from invulnerable. B.C. rolled up 464 yards of total offense en route to the 44-7 victory.

As for the Cyclones, the attack improved in the Iowa game, making few mistakes and gaining substantial yardage on the ground in the final half. Now, ISU needs more consistency from Stevie Hicks and the ground game. Bret Meyer's passing game has been more than impressive. He's completed 67.7 percent of his attempts.

When Army has the ball

The two prime threats for the Black Knight attack are running back Carlton Jones and quarterback Zac Dahman.

Jones, who appears on the early Doak Walker Award watch lists, is now fourth among Army career rushing leaders at 2,663 yards. This year, he's averaging just 3.0 yards per carry for a team that's rushing for just 76 per game.

"He does everything good," said McCarney.

After years as a wishbone offense, Army can throw the ball with Dahman at the helm. A 52.2 percent passer this year, he needs 81 yards to set the school career record. He now has 5,194.

Dahman is about to battle an Iowa State defense that's been very impressive, save for two big passing plays against Illinois State and some long runs by Iowa's Albert Young. Five turnovers paved the way to victory over the Hawkeyes, and the Cyclones are allowing rival quarterbacks to complete just 37.3 percent of their passes.

Key matchup

Tim Dobbins vs. Jones and Dahman. Iowa State's middle linebacker has been very active through two games, and stands second (behind Matt Robertson) in tackles. If he can shut down Jones early, and give the Army quarterback some heat with the occasional blitz, the Cyclones should hold a key edge.

Writer's prediction

Most of McCarney's worries deal with intangibles - the unusual start time, a different opponent, the Army discipline, the mindset of his players and so on. Between the lines, the Cyclones appear to own a decided advantage. It's just a question of whether they can avoid the problems that plagued them in the opener with a supposedly lesser foe in Illinois State.

Should the Cyclones get on the scoreboard early and apply pressure to Army's quarterback, they will enter the Big 12 season at 3-0 for the first time in four years.

Final score - Iowa State 37, Army 16.

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