Iowa State’s quarterback dilemma hasn’t looked like one so far. Sophomores Austen Arnaud and Phillip Bates have both shown they can lead the offense, and the statistics bear that out.

Arnaud and Bates have combined to go 28-of-40 passing for 373 yards, with four touchdowns, no interceptions and, most importantly, two wins. So Iowa State coach Gene Chizik has no plans to abandon the Cyclones’ unorthodox quarterback platoon on Saturday when the Cyclones (2-0) face Iowa.

After all, it’s worked to the tune of 92 points in victories over South Dakota State and Kent State.

“It’s a lot of pressure for one guy to feel like he has to do it,” Chizik said. “That takes pressure off the other guy to realize ‘I don’t have to do this by myself.”‘

Arnaud, who has started the last two games and will likely do so again on Saturday, has excelled in the passing game. He’s completed 77 percent of his passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns, and his passing efficiency rating is third among Big 12 quarterbacks.

Bates hasn’t thrown the ball as much as Arnaud, completing 8-of-14 passes for 109 yards and two TDs, but he appears to give the Cyclones a strong threat running the ball. Bates has rushed 17 times for 138 yards, including a late 56-yard run against Kent State.

Bates also tossed a 24-yard TD pass to R.J. Sumrall against the Golden Flashes, giving Iowa State a lead it never gave back.

“There’s not really a secret to it. The offense doesn’t care who is in there,” Arnaud said. “We’re both going to make plays with our arms and our feet.”

It’s a good thing Iowa State has gotten strong production from both its quarterbacks, because the running back situation is in flux.

Sophomore Alexander Robinson missed Saturday’s game against Kent State with a leg injury, and neither Jason Scales nor J.J. Bass were able to pick up the slack. They combined for just 55 yards on 28 carries.

The good news for Iowa State is that Robinson is expected to start against the Hawkeyes. He ran for 74 yards, on 4.9 yards per carry, in a win over South Dakota State in the opener.

“We haven’t been running the ball very well, at all, at the tailback position. That’s been very disappointing to us,” Chizik said. “We’re doing some things that aren’t very good … when it comes to running the football. We’ve got to find ways to do it.”

Iowa State’s scoring output has been aided by a defense that, at least so far, has been adept at forcing turnovers. The Cyclones were minus-7 in turnover margin last season, forcing only 18 miscues, but they’re already plus-6 through two games.

Special teams has also been a pleasant surprise. The Cyclones blocked a pair of punts against Kent State and freshman kicker Grant Mahoney is 5-of-6 on field goal tries – including a 48-yarder on Saturday.

“Grant has been really good,” Chizik said. “If I were ever to have sat there and said, ‘Look, I want a freshman kicker to come in and this is what I’d like him to do the first two games,’ I couldn’t draw it up any better.”

Iowa State’s quarterback situation seemed to be very similar to the one in Iowa City, where sophomore Ricky Stanzi and junior Jake Christensen have split time during the Hawkeyes’ first two games. But while the Stanzi-Christensen debate has been a heated one, there hasn’t been nearly as much contentious chatter about Arnaud and Bates.

“It’s just week-by-week. You’ve just got to keep working hard like you’re going to be the guy,” Bates said. “As long we keep winning, it really doesn’t matter.”