AMES, Iowa (AP) — Hardly anyone expected Iowa State to get off to a 3-0 start.

It's not necessarily a mirage though.

After surviving a major scare from FCS school Northern Iowa, the Cyclones stunned Iowa in triple overtime, 44-41, after scoring just 15 points against the Hawkeyes in three previous meetings.

Iowa State then hit the road and, after a dreadful first quarter from quarterback Steele Jantz, rallied to upset Connecticut 24-20 last weekend and post their best start in six years.

The surging Cyclones, picked ninth in the 10-team Big 12's preseason poll, have the week off before hosting No. 19 Texas (3-0) in their conference opener on Oct. 1 that will rank among the most anticipated home games in Iowa State history.

"To be standing here and to be 3-0, I feel we are fortunate," Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads said. "I wouldn't call us lucky, because we're doing a number of other things right. But we still are very fortunate, and that fortune will go away as we dive into league play."

Iowa State has certainly had luck go its way so far, outscoring opponents by a mere eight points en route to three straight wins. In fact, the Cyclones have already set a school record with three consecutive wins after trailing in the fourth quarter.

But they have shown that clutch performances and just enough defense can carry a team a long way.

Iowa State's defense, a major concern for years, ranks 74th in the nation with 26.7 points allowed per game. Toss out the 17 points the Hawkeyes put up in the overtimes, though, and it drops to a respectable 21 points per outing.

The Cyclones are getting more pressure from their defensive line behind senior ends Patrick Neal and Jake Lattimer, and standout linebackers Jake Knott and A.J. Klein have combined for 55 total tackles.

Though the Cyclones are getting many sacks or turnovers, opponents have completed less than 50 percent of their passes and rushed for just 3.7 yards per carry. Knott said that's a testament to the job defensive coordinator Wally Burnham has done preparing the Cyclones.

"Every week (Burnham) has such a balanced attack against what they do," Knott said. "As long as we do our job and what Coach Burnham tells us to do, it shouldn't be a problem."

Jantz's late-game heroics carried the Cyclones to thrilling wins in their first two games. But the junior's dreadful first quarter against UConn — he was 0 of 4 passing with three interceptions — left Iowa State in yet another early hole.

Luckily, the Cyclones found other players capable of pulling out games.

Receiver Josh Lenz, a return specialist who continues to develop into a viable option in the passing game, pulled up on a double-wide receiver reverse and tossed a 40-yard TD pass to Darius Reynolds that gave the Cyclones a 14-10 lead early in the second half against UConn.

Reynolds, a senior who the Cyclones have waited for years to become a playmaker, capped a career-best 128-yard game with a 20-yard TD reception, leaping over defenders in the open field to give Iowa State a lead they wouldn't give up.

""It's kind of bittersweet. The sweet is that we're 3-0 and we've shown that we can handle adversity. But the other part of it is, as the coaches say, we're on borrowed time," Jantz said. "We can't keep turning the ball over three times, which a lot of it is on my shoulders, and expect to win."

Iowa State also knows it can't count on Jantz pulling them out in the fourth quarter time and time again. He's dynamic, no doubt, but he's also far from polished.

A strong defense is a much more solid indicator of future success, and the Cyclones appear to be getting there.

Iowa State is 13-1 under Rhoads when holding opponents under 24 points, and it hasn't let anyone score more than that in regulation in 2011.

"There's more of a swagger on this team. No matter what situation we're in, we think we can get out of it. On offense or defense, no matter what situation we're put in we can get out of it and be successful," Knott said.