Two teams looking to bounce back from disappointing openers collide in Glenville Saturday afternoon when West Liberty heads south to take on the Pioneers in a Mountain East Conference test.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at 5,500-seat Morris Stadium.

Reviewing the game tape of last week's 38-13 loss to No. 11-ranked Shepherd only confirmed what Hilltopper head coach Roger Waialae had seen from the sidelines.

"You can't miss 34 tackles or turn the ball over in the red zone when you're playing the No. 11 team in the country," Waialae said, "and you have to play together as a team. We weren't very good at any of those things last week."

Shepherd converted a staggering 10-of-11 third downs and kept the ball for nearly 23 minutes in the first half alone en route to a 24-0 halftime lead. The Hilltoppers, who converted only one third down all day, had the ball inside the Ram 35 on six different possessions but came away with points on only one of them.

The WLU coaches worked on those issues this week before turning their full attention to the Pioneers.

"We needed to clean up our own house first," Waialae said. "Defensively, we had guys in position to make plays but we were tackling too high. Offensively, we need to get our wide receivers and quarterbacks on the same page in terms of being where they're supposed to be when they're supposed to be there. Our offensive line held up pretty well but our quarterbacks didn't read the pocket. They were rolling away from the protection instead of stepping up into the pocket and making the plays that were there to be made. Those were all things we addressed this week."

Glenville suffered through a similar season opening experience as the Pioneer defense was shredded by a Concord team which returned all 11 starters. The Mountain Lions sprinted out to a 40-6 lead a couple of minutes into the second half before coasting to a 54-27 romp.

Waialae noted that defending MEC rushing champion Rahmann Lee ran for 155 yards and 3 TDs on 19 carries for the Pioneers while Western Michigan transfer Tevin Drake added 102 yards on 10 tries – including a 74-yard scoring burst.

"Glenville had some issues on defense last week," Waialae said, "but they have so many athletes running around on offense that it scares you. Lee's been the best offensive player in the league the last two years and their other back was an NCAA Division I starter. The quarterback throws a nice ball and they have a couple of good receivers to go along with a mature and experienced offensive line. Our defense is really going to be tested."

With only 51 offensive snaps against Shepherd last week, the Hilltoppers' plans to put more emphasis on the running game never really got off the ground. Compounding matters, the three quarterbacks – Dakota Conwell, Dylan LaGarde and Dan Leonard – combined to complete only 13-of-30 passes as the Hilltoppers finished with just 9 first downs and 172 yards of total offense.

"We made a commitment to running the ball but when you struggle to throw it, the other team can walk more players into the box," Waialae said. "Our offensive line created some opportunities but too many times our backs didn't make good decisions with their cuts. Once we start taking advantage of the opportunities in the passing game, it will open things up for the run. They both have to work together."

Despite the loss, there were some bright spots on Saturday. Wide receiver Anton McCallum brought the crowd to its feet with a 93-yard kickoff return TD in the fourth quarter. Tight end Daree Goodwin opened the game with a 65-yard catch-and-run down the middle of the field and WR Dylan Potts outleaped a defender to pull down a well-thrown fade from Leonard for WLU's first touchdown of the season.

"You saw glimpses," Waialae said. "We have playmakers in the passing game. Our focus this week will be on getting them the ball in space and giving them a chance to make things happen." 

GAME NOTES

X Senior TB Isiah Moody is doubtful for the Glenville game but Waialae expects to have everyone else available

X Waialae is just 2-8 in season openers at WLU last week but has a 7-2 mark in the second game of the year

X The Hilltoppers have won more games against Glenville State (41) than any other opponent in school history

X West Liberty is 48-6 over the past 10 years when leading at the half but just 8-39 when tied or trailing at intermission

X Coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, Glenville's Lee needs just 81 yards to reach 3,000 for his career

X The Hilltopper defense has held Lee under the 100-yard mark each of the past two seasons

X Drake was Western Michigan's leading rusher in 2011 and ran for nearly 1,100 yards in three years with the Broncos