One of the secrets to turning your program around is getting your players to stick around.

Third-year Mansfield University football coach Jim Shiffer can speak from experience.

The Mountaineers (0-1) come to N. Kerr Thompson Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday against Slippery Rock (1-1).

The game is Slippery Rock's home opener. The team Shiffer is bringing to face SRUisn't the team he had in mind.

Poohbear McNeal rushed for 1,094 yards and caught 40 passes for 389 more as a junior for Mansfield last year. Quarterback John Hengehold threw for 2,415 yards and 22 touchdowns as a freshman. Ozzie Mathis had 35 catches for 481 yards and seven touchdowns as an underclassman.

None of those players is on Mansfield's roster this season.

"Through various NCAA rules and regulations, those guys aren't available to us,"Shiffer said. "We certainly do miss them.

"We do have an outstanding freshman class that's filling in some of those gaps. I still think we'll be improved this year."

The Mountaineers opened the season with a 35-0 loss to Shippensburg last week. Freshman quarterback Garrett Kensy completed eight of 27 passes for 68 yards and running back Kevin Calhoun had 12 carries for 50 yards.

Mansfield finished last in the PSACin defense last year, allowing 39.2 points and 505.6 yards per game.

"Our defense played a credible game against Ship,"Shiffer said. "For the first three quarters, our offense couldn't generate anything and our defense just got worn out.

"Only four players are back from last year's defense. We're much more athletic on that side of the ball."

Linebacker Andre Turner had 100 tackles last season and is a three-time All-PSACEast performer. Free safety Michael Gardier had 15 tackles last week.

Even though Shiffer is 2-20 overall at Mansfield, SRU coach George Mihalik said his team still must be wary.

"This is a team we haven't played since 1991,"Mihalik said. "We don't know what they're all about. They don't know what we're all about, either."

The Rock bounced back from a season-opening 51-21 loss at Youngstown State to post a come-from-behind 27-22 win at Millersville last week.

Nate Crookshank threw for 221 yards and four touchdowns against Millersville and was named PSACWest Offensive Player of the Week. Luke Wetzel had four catches for 138 yards and three TDs — the most receiving yards by a Rock receiver in a game since Ryan McKavish had 153 against Bloomsburg in 2002.

Defensive end Cory Lacek set a school record with four quarterback sacks and was named NCAADivision IIDefensive Player of the Week.

"Cory is so strong at getting around the end and he keeps giving 100 percent on every play,"Mihalik said. "His enthusiasm and energy rubs off on the rest of the defense."

SRU had seven sacks overall last week and the defensive front may get ample opportunities to rush the quarterback against Mansfield's spread offense.

"They'll employ four- and five-receiver sets, often times with no tight end or running back on the field,"Mihalik said. "Defensively, they play a 35 that we haven't seen much of, so our offensive line will be looking at some unique blocking schemes."

SRUtight end Frank Cremonese is lost for the season, his injured knee requiring surgery. Mihalik said his team is healthy otherwise.

The Mountaineers have had just one winning season since 1975, finishing 8-3 in 2003. They are led by sophomore slotback Rodney Davis, who set a school record with 64 catches for 734 yards as a freshman.

"Rodney is a teriffic player and we're going to lean on him a lot," Shiffer said. "We put him in multiple roles to get the ball in his hands.

"Slippery Rock is a good football team. They do what they do, and they have the personnel to keep doing it. Crookshank reminds me of the (Randy) McKavish kid and he has experienced skilled people out there with him. We have our hands full going up there."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Slippery Rock University leads its all-time series with Mansfield 6-1-1. Here are the scores:<B>Year.......SRU.......Mans.</B>1991.......23.......331990.......20.......201985.......7.......61984.......28.......71973.......27.......01970.......40.......61927.......41.......61926.......45.......0