SLIPPERY ROCK — Last season, Corey Manfull knew he couldn't play. He knew he couldn't sit still, either.

So the Slippery Rock University running back, forced to wait another year to succeed Josh Kniess as SRU's primary ball carrier, went to work in the weight room.

"Ihad to do something," Manfull said. "Hitting the weights was about all I could do, so I was in there every day."

Kniess, a Slippery Rock High graduate, became SRU's all-time career all-purpose yardage leader while Manfull served as his backup for two years.

Manfull rushed for 390 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman, 433 yards and two TDs as a sophomore.

"I was fine with that," he said. "Josh was gonna get the carries. I had to wait my turn."

That turn was to come last year. But less than two weeks before training camp started, Manfull severed tendons in a hand and was done for the season.

"I locked myself out of my place and was trying to see if my window was unlocked,"he said. "My hand went right through the glass."

With Manfull forced to redshirt, several running backs were pressed into service. Travis Sarver, Damarcus Cleckley and A.J. Saunders combined for 1,522 yards. The team lost out on a playoff berth by dropping a 21-20 decision to West Chester in its final game.

"Corey could have sat around and done nothing, knowing he couldn't play for a year,"SRUcoach George Mihalik said. "But he spent the year working out and getting stronger.

"Now we're reaping the benefits of all that hard work."

Manfull enjoyed a 129-yard rushing game against Fairmont State his freshman season. He rushed for 123 yards against Shepherd in 2005. Before this year, those were his only two collegiate 100-yard games after being named Ohio Division IV high school offensive player of the year during his senior season at United Local in Hanoverton, Ohio.

Through four games this year, Manfull has four 100-yard games, setting a career-high with each one. He picked up 170 yards and three touchdowns — including a 96-yarder — in Saturday's 45-9 win over Kutztown.

Staying in shape over the past year has helped Manfull shoulder a busy load:25 carries in each of the first two games.

"I haven't felt tired or beaten up after any of these games," he said. "I could handle carrying the ball a few more times, actually.

"Running behind this offensive line is fun. Those guys are blowing open holes. It's pretty much the same line we had back in 2005, only they were sophomores and I wasn't on the field with them very much."

Manfull is averaging 156 rushing yards per game, a pace that would eclipse the SRUrecord of 1,601 yards in a season, set by Lamonte Coleman in 1994.

Coleman scored 21 touchdowns that year as well. Manfull has eight TDs with seven regular season games remaining.

"I haven't even thought about that record,"Manfull said. "I'm not about records. I don't even know what it is. All I want to do is win games."

SRUquarterback Nate Crookshank is thankful that Manfull's back in the lineup, giving him the steady ground game that Kniess provided two years ago.

"We can't succeed if we don't run the football,"Crookshank said. "The running game sets up our passing game. It allows us to do play action and get everything going."

Manfull already has 624 yards. Sarver, a Slippery Rock High graduate, led the team with 660 yards a year ago.

"A 1,000-yard season — every runner wants that," Manfull said. "But I want to be in the playoffs more. I've been thinking about that since before the end of last season."

Here is a look at Slippery Rock University junior running back Corey Manfull's production after the first four games of 2007:<b>Opp. Carries Yds. TD</b>Seton Hill 25 145 4Millersville 25 150 0Bowie St. 21 159 1Kutztown 19 170 3