Ames, Iowa ? Iowa State coach Dan McCarney knew he’d have to play freshmen this season. But 15 freshmen playing on a team loaded with seniors?

He didn’t plan on using that many.

“There are definitely more freshmen playing than any time since we’ve been here,” said McCarney, who’s in his ninth season.

Iowa State could start as many as six freshmen in Saturday’s home game against No. 20 Texas. Five other freshmen would be on the second team.

Some are playing out of necessity. Injuries to regulars such as defensive end Tyson Smith and defensive tackle Jordan Carstens, both seniors, have moved freshmen into starting roles.

Other freshmen have been regulars all along, either because the team was short of players at that position or because they were better than the veterans.

“We’re not building for the future,” McCarney said. “Any decision I make right now is not for 2004, I can assure you of that. It’s all for trying to beat Texas and win as many games as we can and get our fourth bowl bid.”

Against the competition Iowa State has faced — the Cyclones’ schedule is ranked as the toughest in the nation — young players often find themselves overmatched. That has contributed to Iowa State’s 2-4 record, which includes blowout losses in its first two Big 12 Conference games.

“They are making mistakes,” McCarney said. “But they are making progress. You can really see some genuine improvement with all those young guys. I’m proud of those young guys.”

Five true freshmen have played this year — offensive guard Aaron Brant, defensive end Jason Berryman, defensive tackle Brent Curvey, nose guard Matt Scherbring and defensive back Dominique Flower.

Brant has started all season, and Berryman became a starter after Smith broke his leg in the opener. Curvey has filled in for Carstens, who has a knee injury, the last two games and would start Saturday if Carstens can’t go.

“The coaches do a great job getting us ready,” Berryman said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a senior or a freshman. You’re prepared to play when you go out there.”

Iowa State’s youth has extended to the most visible position on the field. Red-shirt freshman Austin Flynn has started every game at quarterback, though junior Cris Love might start against Texas. Another red-shirt freshman, Seth Zehr, is now starting at the other guard spot in the offensive line.

The Cyclones have sputtered on offense, but McCarney said the coaches had to tolerate youthful mistakes.

“We coach them all hard. We expect a lot from all of them,” he said. “But deep down, we understand this may be the first time they’ve been in that situation. This is the first time we’ve asked them to make this play and you’ve got to learn from it.”

The freshmen on defense had a chance to learn a lot last week. The defense was on the field for 111 plays in a 52-21 loss at Texas Tech.

“Curvey is playing much more than we ever told him he would when we recruited him,” McCarney said.

“Berryman bounced back and played 100 snaps last week. The good thing is they’re gaining a lot of experience. The bad thing is that’s way too many snaps on defense to be on the field.”