SLIPPERY ROCK — The Slippery Rock University football team might be battling two opponents this weekend.

The first is Edinboro on Saturday at Sox Harrison Stadium, where The Rock hasn't won since 1999.

The second is the Northeast Region standings, which dropped SRU(8-2) from seventh to eighth this week despite its win at Lock Haven. The top six teams come Sunday will enter the NCAADivision IIplayoffs.

SRU's schedule has proven to be damaging to the team's postseason chances. The Rock has not defeated a team with a winning record, and its eight victims have a combined 19-59 record.

"Istand by what I've said for two weeks now: If we win, we should be in,"SRUcoach George Mihalik said. "But this win is going to be a tough one to come by."

SRUsnapped a three-game losing streak to Edinboro (7-3) by posting a 24-21 win in overtime last year at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium. But Mihalik is only 9-9-1 lifetime against the Fighting Scots, 3-5-1 at Edinboro.

The Rock has been outscored 58-14 in its last three games at Edinboro, losing by scores of 24-7, 20-3 and 14-7. SRUlikely will need a lot more points than that to prevail Saturday.

"That team can put up points, and they can do it in a hurry,"Mihalik said.

The Scots average 35.9 points per game. They scored 56 points against St. Anselm, 42 against Bloomsburg, 46 against Cheyney, 70 against Lock Haven and 49 against Clarion.

Quarterback Trevor Harris has thrown for 2,893 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. Nine different Edinboro players have caught touchdown passes.

"That kid is the best quarterback in the conference,"Mihalik said. "We have to find a way to control him."

The Scots have not run the ball for a lot of yardage in 2007. Houston Brown tops their ground game with 424 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. Ulysee Davis has 388 yards and four TDs while Harris has 246 yards and three scores on the ground.

"Our strength is in throwing the football, and that's what we do,"Edinboro coach Scott Browning said. "When we do have the ball, by the nature of our offense, we don't possess it for very long. And that has hurt our defense somewhat."

The Scots allow an average of 24.7 points per game. Every team in the PSACWest has scored at least 18 points against Edinboro.

Chris Amico is the team's biggest impact player on defense, recording 14Z\x tackles for loss and 6Z\x sacks.

"If we ran the ball a little better, it would help our defense,"Browning allowed. "But you have to play to your strengths."

Knoch graduate Josh Bzorek, a junior at Edinboro, has started every game of his collegiate career at left tackle for the Scots.

On The Rock side, Nate Crookshank needs three touchdown passes to break John Linhart's single-season school record of 21, set in 1992. Wide receiver Paul Favers has scored at least one touchdown in all nine games he's played.

Linebacker Jake Barzen likely will miss his second game with a knee injury. SRU's defense had already lost linebacker Jared Palmer for the season and end Cory Lacek for a few weeks with a groin problem. Lacek returned to the lineup two weeks ago.

Rock linemen Clint Forsha (55 tackles, 7Z\x sacks) and Tyler Boudreau have emerged as two of the PSACleaders in sacks.

"Those are two veteran guys who knew they had to step up their level of play, and they've done that,"Mihalik said. "I think Clint Forsha has been the best defensive lineman in the conference this year."

The Rock needs to win to make Sunday's Division IIplayoff pairings meeting meaningful. Edinboro is ranked 12th in the region.

"We're probably too far down in the rankings to sneak in,"Browning said. "But if you ask me, the winner of this game deserves to be in the playoffs."