AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State’s restructured defense will be considered a liability until it can prove otherwise. The Cyclones will look to counter a defense in flux with what could be one of the best offenses in school history. Iowa State might finally be built to hang in a league where even teams with strong defenses often find themselves in shootouts.

The Cyclones have arguably the deepest group of wide receivers in the Big 12, a pair of talented backs in David Montgomery and Mike Warren and a quarterback, Jacob Park, coming off his first full offseason in the program. Iowa State (3-9 in 2016) opens its second season under coach Matt Campbell on Saturday against Northern Iowa.