SLIPPERY ROCK — Its last two trips to Sox Harrison Stadium proved to be harrowing experiences for the Slippery Rock University football team.

Edinboro had three early leads before SRU rallied for a 41-30 victory in 2019. The Fighting Scots handed The Rock a 48-38 defeat in 2017 — SRU's last loss to a PSAC West opponent.

The Rock (5-9, 2-0), ranked No. 7 nationally, returns to Edinboro (1-3, 1-1) for a 2 p.m. kickoff Saturday. It is the Fighting Scots' homecoming.

But it probably won't be like the last two SRU-Edinboro games there.

“We're awfully young on offense,” first-year Edinboro coach Jake Nulph said. “We're still trying to find ourselves. But we believe we found our quarterback.”

Nulph served as defensive backs/special teams coach at Indiana (Pa.) before taking over at Edinboro this year.

Other than a 41-37 loss to West Chester, Edinboro's offense has not scored more than 12 points in a game. The Scots returned a blocked field goal for a score in last week's 17-7 win over Seton Hill.

Jordan Castelli, a 6-foot-2 junior and transfer from California (Pa.), made his first start at quarterback in that game. He threw for 111 yards and ran for 44, leading his team in both categories.

“They haven't thrown the ball too much,” SRU coach Shawn Lutz said. “They like to run the ball and we're obviously going to have to stop their run, force them to throw it.

“They do a lot of quarterback runs (with Castelli). We need to be aware of that.”

The Rock defense is allowing only 89 passing yards per game. The first-string unit is permitting a mere 6.2 points per game.

Edinboro has been strong on special teams — blocking six kicks this season — and defense. Lutz is wary of defensive tackle Bishop Simmons, a transfer from Rutgers, and junior linebacker Saige Ley, a Seneca Valley graduate.

Ley is leading the Scots with 31 tackles this season.

“I expect their defense to mix things up on us,” Lutz said. “At times, they will probably drop people back and dare us to run the ball.”

Nulph said Ley is into football “365 days a year. He's always in the film room, always in the weight room.”

Lutz and some of his coaches will have a reunion of sorts with some of Edinboro's coaching staff. Scots' defensive coordinator Tony Papley is a Slippery Rock High School and SRU grad. He played defensive tackle for The Rock when Lutz was defensive coordinator.

Papley was a teammate of current SRU defensive coordinator Dom Razzano.

Rock graduate and former SRU defensive back Jayson Nickson coaches defensive backs and is special teams coordinator for Edinboro. Former Pittsburgh Steeler and SRU defensive line coach Keith Willis is now associate head coach and defensive line coach for the Scots.

Butler graduate Nate Hartung coaches tight ends at Edinboro.

“I know the relentless attitude and passion Tony Papley has for football,” Lutz said. “I'm sure he's geared up for us and his unit will be geared up as well.

“Keith Willis was a mentor of mine when I first came here. Jayson Nickson was a great player for us. I have so much respect for those guys.”

Nulph admitted that convincing those members of his staff that this “is just another game on the schedule” was a fruitless task.

“I remember coming back and having the chance to coach against my alma mater, Robert Morris, back in the day,” Nulph said. “There's definitely a different feel there.

“We won't gain anything from Tony and those guys playing and coaching there, though. That was long ago.”

SRU's Jermaine Wynn Jr. has generated 392 all-purpose yards in the past two games. He's averaging 23.8 yards per punt return during that stretch.

“He's playing like the Jermaine of 2019 now,” Lutz said. “He's going straight ahead on punt returns and has become a weapon there again.

“We want to jump on them right away if we can. We've only gotten off to quick starts in two games this year. It's their homecoming and we want to get rid of that type of atmosphere early.”

SRU has a 57-28-7 edge in the all-time series between the teams, which began in 1916.