SLIPPERY ROCK — Clyde Conti gets deja vu when watching the Fort LeBoeuf football team on film.

The Bison are old school in their approach to offensive football: they rely on power and brute force. It's an approach Conti said he hasn't seen much of in many years.

He will see it up close and personal when the Rockets host Fort LeBoeuf in the season opener at 7 p.m. Friday

"You saw a lot of what they do in the '60s and '70s," Conti said. "I understand why they do it. They have a lot of power."

It starts with a large offensive line capable of moving piles.

Fort LeBoeuf also has Chad Parker, a 6-foot, 200-pound fullback who is as strong as an ox.

Toss in shifty tailback Blake Hockett, a capable quarterback in Colin Feeney and a stingy defense that no team had success against in scrimmages, and the Bison have enough problems for Conti to fret about.

"They are humongous," Conti said. "I don't know how we are going to move the ball against them."

Fort LeBoeuf coach John Campbell has an inkling about how it can be done: Rockets senior quarterback Jono Powell.

"We're impressed with him," said Campbell, who is beginning fourth season as the Bison coach. "He can beat you with his legs and his arm. That quarterback definitely gets things going for them and they are well coached. It's a difficult challenge for us."

It is for Conti, as well, who already is dealing with numerous injuries.

Slippery Rock played well in its scrimmages againstGrove City, Brookville and Karns City, but paid the price in pain.

Conti said he had "five or six" starters missing from practice Monday afternoon with no time table on when they would return.

"We're not real healthy right now," Conti said. "We just have an uphill battle right now. We just don't know who is going to be out there. But that's the nature of our sport."

Fort LeBoeuf has five returning starters on offense and four on defense.

When Campbell took over the program four years ago, it was almost at rock bottom. The Bison went 1-18 during his first two seasons, but rebounded to go 5-5 last year.

"We struggled our first two years, but we started to turn the corner last year," Campbell said. "This year we believe we can keep it going."