SLIPPERYROCK — A new term has crept into the sports vocabulary.

The program game.

That's what Slippery Rock University football coach George Mihalik calls Saturday's 1 p.m. contest against winless Lock Haven at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

"A program game is about maintaining the tradition of the program,"Mihalik said. "For us to have a winning season, we need to win on Saturday.

"Having a winning record is important to us. We're not accustomed to things being the other way around here."

SRU(4-5, 2-4) has endured only four losing campaigns in Mihalik's first 20 years as head coach. The Rock is coming off consecutive three-touchdown losses, 31-10 to California (Pa.), 35-14 to Edinboro, and has suffered three losses by 21 or more points in a season for the first time since 1990.

The other lopsided defeat this year was a 34-10 decision at Mercyhurst.

Mihalik is so serious about winning Saturday that Ryan Lehmeier, the team's leading rusher, will start at quarterback Saturday in place of struggling sophomore Brandon Frohnapple.

Lehmeier played the majority of the Cal game behind center and completed 6 of 16 passes for 49 yards. He rushed for 141 yards.

"Ryan is getting the reps at quarterback this week,"Mihalik said. "We feel like he gives us the best chance to move the ball and score points offensively."

The Rock is completely healthy this week, as offensive lineman Kyle Bond and running back Damarcus Cleckley return to the lineup

The Lehmeier move will likely result in more carries for Cleckley and redshirt freshman Sayquan Scott-Mitchell.

Lock Haven (0-9, 0-6) hasn't been able to put much together on either side of the ball. The Bald Eagles have been outscored 334-51 and have scored only seven touchdowns.

Ilio DiPaolo, Lock Haven's starting quarterback in 2006 and 2007, is now at wide receiver. Freshman Jarryd Burkett of Altoona has completed 81 of 169 passes for 498 yards, two touchdowns and nine interceptions.

"Ilio wasn't providing everything we need from the quarterback position,"Lock Haven coach John Klacik said. "He's better suited to help us as a receiver.

"Of course, that put us back to square one with a freshman quarterback, but it will help us in the long run."

The Bald Eagles' leading receivers are DeMarr McDowell and Karns City graduate Cameron Turner, both with 18 catches. Turner, a true freshman starting at tight end, missed the first four games with a hyperextended knee.

Ibrahim Smith leads the Lock Haven running game with 171 yards. Lock Haven is averaging 48 rushing yards per game and is giving up 237.8 yards on the ground per contest.

"We're going to be in a quandary if we can't run the ball,"Mihalik admitted.

The Bald Eagles are 0-27-1 against The Rock since posting a 29-26 win over SRUin 1980. Since its last .500 season in 1982, Lock Haven is 20-129-2 in PSACWest play.

Klacik is 5-37 in his fourth year as Bald Eagles head coach. Lock Haven has 54 freshmen and sophomores and only seven seniors on its roster.

"We're just getting our first recruiting class through the program now,"Klacik said. "We have seven seniors this year, next year we'll have 20.

"We started from scratch when I first got here. We began with only 20-plus players."

"We haven't exactly been setting the world on fire ourselves this year,"Mihalik said. "They haven't established any consistency and neither have we. Lock Haven has to be looking at this game as its best chance to beat The Rock in a long time. ... This is the kind of game that makes you nervous."