Pat McClearn will be looking at things from a different perspective this week.

McClearn, now the head football coach at Mercer High School, will stare across his new home field at his old team when the Mustangs host Slippery Rock at 7 p.m. Friday night.

McClearn served as an assistant coach for the Rockets for four seasons before becoming the Mustangs’ head coach in the summer. He’s trying to treat this game like any other, but having a hard time doing it.

“I’m trying to do that,” McClearn said. “But because we’ve been through so much together, it’s not just another game. I know them. It’s like playing against your brother.”

Both teams are 1-5 and both teams could have a few more wins had a few more things gone their way.

Mercer led undefeated Wilmington 7-0 in the fourth quarter before losing 14-7 earlier in the season and led undefeated Reynolds 7-0 last week before falling 23-7.

But close isn’t good enough for McClearn.

“That almost stuff only goes so far,” McClearn said. “At some point, you want to win some games.”

Slippery Rock won a game, 31-0 against Greenville Friday, for its first victory of the season.

Following close loss after close loss, getting a win was a relief for the Rockets.

“I’m really, really happy for our guys,” said Slippery Rock coach Clyde Conti. “We didn’t play a picture perfect game, but we got a win in Greenville up there on homecoming and that was important.”

After struggling to score points during the first three weeks of the season, the Rockets have scored 31 points in each of their last two games.

J.R. Thompson has emerged as a big-time offensive threat in the passing game. He’s caught six passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the last two weeks.

“He’s just bought into what we are doing and has worked hard,” Conti said.

The defense has been staunch all season for the Rockets, who have surrendered just 82 points in five games.

Teams are having a difficult time running against Slippery Rock’s front and aggressive linebackers and defensive backs.

“It’s an attitude on defense,” Conti said. “It really is. You have to go after it and smack people. Tackling is an attitude. We’ve been able to play some pretty good defense.”

Senior Ben Collins has always been regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the league. But the Slippery Rock star is getting noticed on defense, too.

Collins shed a few pounds and added some muscle in the offseason, and his quickness on defense has benefited.

“I tell you what, I’ve been impressed by the improvement I’ve seen by Ben on defense,” McClearn said. “Everyone thinks of him as a quarterback and he’s done a lot — more than a lot of quarterbacks have ever done in this league. Ben’s a good kid and he’s playing great right now.”

That doesn’t bode well for Mercer.

The Mustangs, though, are an option offense — an attack Slippery Rock hasn’t seen much of recently.

Devin Wasser runs the show at quarterback for Mercer. He took over under center midway though last season and brings a lot of quickness to the equation.

“His stats might not show how well he has played this season,” McClearn said. “He’s done a real nice job.”

Wasser has a lot of reads to make and the Mercer offense is still showing some growing pains.

“We put a lot of responsibility on the quarterback’s shoulders,” McClearn said. “He’s able to do everything we’ve asked him to do.”

The option is not an easy offense to grasp.

“It takes some time to learn,” McClearn said. “The kids have really only had had seven weeks with it.”