Football | 10/6/2011 9:55:00 PM

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University football team hosts West Virginia State Saturday afternoon in the annual Homecoming Game.
    Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Russek Field.
    The injury-riddled Hilltoppers (0-5, 0-3) are in the midst of their longest losing streak since 2004 while the Yellowjackets (1-3, 1-1) just snapped a 13-game slide that stretched over the past two seasons.
    It has been a difficult start to the season for head coach Roger Waialae and the rest of the Hilltoppers but the veteran mentor has maintained a positive approach.
    “Nobody expected this,” Waialae said, “but I think it says something for the character of our players that we haven't seen the mass exodus here that you see in other places. Nobody has quit and walked out on their teammates and nobody has given up. They understand the only way to dig yourself out of a hole like this is to work your way out and that's what they're committed to doing.”
    Waialae was most disappointed by the play of his defense and special teams in last week's 41-14 loss to Glenville State but said he saw some encouraging signs from an offense that has struggled for most of the season.
    Quarterbacks L.D. Crow and Ben Rogers combined for more than 200 passing yards with each throwing a touchdown pass to sophomore WR Brandon Schroeder, who now ranks among the top 10 receivers in the WVIAC. The Hilltoppers didn't commit a turnover for the first time all year and collected 16 first downs, nearly matching their combined total from the previous two weeks.
    While those accomplishments weren't enough to overcome a pair of blocked punts, several long kick returns and a potent Glenville offense that racked up nearly 500 total yards, it did provide something to build on heading into this week's game.
    “We had some stretches at Glenville where we had all 11 guys on offense doing what they're supposed to do,” Waialae said, “and when that happened, we moved the ball. I remember one play where they were in a full-on blitz but we blocked it and L.D. stood in there and hit Schroeder for a 63-yard touchdown. For whatever reason, the kids haven't picked up the offense as quickly this year as they have in past seasons but they're working hard on it every day.”
    Waialae noted that this was the first time all season that West Liberty had gotten through a game without losing at least one offensive lineman to injury, which should help with continuity for this week's game.
    This week's lineup will also be bolstered by the return to full-time duty of speedy juco WR Hakeem Cartwright, who has been limited by injury for much of the season, along with the debut of highly-touted true freshman WR Marvin Murray. A Florida native, Murray's paperwork finally worked its way through the NCAA Clearinghouse this week.
    “Barring anything happening in practice,” Waialae said at midweek, “we should finally be able to put some of the weapons on the field Saturday that we were counting on having at the start of the season.”
    West Virginia State comes to town off a 27-21 victory against Seton Hill, the Yellowjackets' first win since a 27-19 victory against Fairmont State on Nov. 7, 2009.
    Rugged TB Fabian Payne was named WVIAC Offensive Player of the Week after pounding out a career-high 138 rushing yards on 20 carries – including a 91-yard second-quarter touchdown run – while quarterback Ricky Phillips fired three first-half TD tosses to help stake State to a 27-7 lead at intermission.
    Slowed by injury early on, Payne has now posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games and is averaging nearly 6 yards a carry while Phillips, the team's second-leading rusher with 131 yards on the ground, has completed 78-of-135 passes for 962 yards and 8 TDs. The receiving tandem of Landon Johnson and Ervin Kent have combined for 35 catches and 530 receiving yard with Kent averaging more than 21 yards a catch.
    “State's a much better football team this year,” Waialae said. “Phillips is playing very well and making good decisions with the football. Payne's a big, strong back who's healthy now and running as well as he did two years ago. We're going to have to stop the run and force them to be one-dimensional on offense in order to come out on top.”
Game Notes
    X West Liberty's 2011 Homecoming Queen and King will be crowned at halftime
    X True freshman DB Eric Cowan is out indefinitely after suffering a knee injury at Glenville. Cowan cracked the starting lineup last week
    X All-WVIAC defensive line standouts DE Isaac Omaits and DT Leonidas Redding are listed as “questionable” on this week's injury report
    X Injured starting center Jose Baez will take a medical redshirt this year and return for his senior season next fall
    X West Virginia State is the only team in the nation without a fumble recovery this season
    X The Yellowjacket defense ranks last in NCAA Division II with just 2 forced turnovers