SLIPPERY ROCK— Involved in his third Slippery Rock University training camp, Travis Sarver finally attained a No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

He just had to move to the other side of the football to do it.

Sarver, a 2004 Slippery Rock High School graduate, began summer training camp at SRU as the backup safety to Brandon Rakszawski.

But returning running back Corey Manfull severed a tendon in his hand during a freak accident before camp opened and likely will miss most of the 2006 season. That left freshmen Robert Heller and Nate Sipes as The Rock's best candidates for playing time in the backfield.

Heller was ruled ineligible by the NCAAjust before camp started and Sipes has been slow to recover from kneesurgery last November.

"We needed help at that position,"SRUcoach George Mihalik said. "All of a sudden, our running back numbers were thinner than thin."

Enter Sarver.

During his final two high school seasons, he rushed for more than 2,500 yards and scored 33 touchdowns.

"When I was recruited, they liked me more on defense,"Sarver said. "But they told me I could be moved to offense at some point."

He just didn't think the move would come this suddenly.

"(Running backs coach BillHorsman) alerted me to the possibility last week, because of the way things were developing,"Sarver said. "So when they asked me to move, it wasn't a complete surprise.

"I had the option (to play offense or defense), but whatever it takes to get me on the field, I'll do it."

In Sarver's first practice with the offense was Thursday, he proved to be a difference-maker.

"He just picked everybody up on that side of the ball,"Mihalik said. "It's not that they were lacking confidence — that's an experienced unit — but it was if Travis gave a problem-spot position a shot in the arm."

At 5-feet-11, 200 pounds, Sarver is not expected to shoulder the majority of carries this season. Sipes, freshmen Damarcus Cleckley (Beaver Falls) and A.J. Saunders (Valley), along with returnee Bryan Dodds will see action as well.

But at this point, Sarver is the likely person to join quarterback Nate Crookshank in the backfield for the Aug. 31 opener at Youngstown State.

Whoever starts at running back for The Rock will be making his first collegiate start at that position. Other than Dodds, no other back on the roster has a single carry at the college level.

Dodds, a redshirt freshman, had 25 carries for 34 yards in a mop-up role last season.

"I'm thinking a few guys will get six to 10 carries a game to start out,"Mihalik said.

Sarver's not afraid to make a lot of carries. He had more than 500 his junior and senior high school seasons combined.

"I'm in shape to give them whatever they need,"he said. "This is an opportunity for me. I won't be doing anything fancy, just hitting the holes this line can create and getting as many yards as I can."

Sarver reminds offensive coordinator Vic Campagna of such a runner.

"I think of Rick Magulick when I watch Travis run,"Campagna said. "He's the same type of back. He doesn't have great speed, but he cuts well, knows how to get to the hole and he has the power to run over people.

"Rick Magulick wasn't very fast, either, yet he had a pretty good career here."

Magulick is No. 2 on The Rock's all-time rushing list with 3,611 yards.

In switching to offense, Sarver also has donned No. 24 as his practice jersey. Fellow Slippery Rock High graduate Josh Kniess wore that number and graduated from SRU's program last fall as its all-time career all-purpose yardage leader.

"Travis will make a big difference in our offense,"Crookshank said. "He runs downhill so well. Our whole offense just opened up once he got in there."

Mihalik credits Sarver for staying ready, keeping in shape and being prepared for anything.

"When opportunity knocked, he was ready to answer,"the coach said. "This is a confident kid who can make people miss and plow forward for extra yardage."

"It's fun carrying the ball,"Sarver said. "This isn't something I went looking for, but I'm looking forward to doing it."