Football | 10/21/2016 6:11:00 AM

West Liberty University head coach Roger Waialae takes his hard-luck Hilltoppers back on the road Saturday for a challenging Mountain East Conference test against once-beaten Notre Dame (Ohio).
Kickoff is set for noon at Mueller Field in South Euclid, Ohio.
The Black and Gold are coming off their third one-point loss of the season, a 28-27 Homecoming heartbreaker against UVa-Wise that wasn't decided until a Cavalier linebacker leaped high to block the Hilltoppers' potential game-winning field goal with less than a minute to play.
As a result, West Liberty finds itself carrying a 3-4 overall record – 3-3 in league play – into Saturday's test against a Notre Dame (6-1, 5-1) squad that has been receiving votes in the national Top 25 for most of the season and whose only loss came at the hands of unbeaten and No. 3-ranked Shepherd.
Knowing his team is only a few bounces away from a 6-1 or even a 7-0 start is cold comfort for the veteran Waialae, who says the players probably handle the frustration better than the coaching staff.
"The way things have been going this season, we should be getting pretty good at dealing with it," Waialae said, "but the bottom line is we just have to put it behind us and go play. I've been doing this for a long time and I do have a hard time letting it go but we have 20-some seniors with four more opportunities to put on the pads and play a game they love. They want to make the best of those opportunities and we want to do all we can to help them."
Injuries continue to plague the Hilltoppers. Wide receiver Anton McCallum, linebacker Garrett Vulcano and defensive lineman Cody Rine are likely out for the season while offensive lineman Hunter Steel and wide receiver Shane Phillips are definitely out for Saturday's game. Several other players are questionable, including freshman safety Logan Deri and senior quarterback Dakota Conwell, after being banged up in last week's physical contest.
It's not a great time to be short-handed as the Falcons bring plenty of weapons to the table.
"Notre Dame is probably the most athletic team we've seen to date on both sides of the ball," Waialae said. "They force turnovers on defense and do a great job taking of the football on offense. They're extremely explosive with a lot of playmakers who can score from anywhere. They're really talented at the skill positions and very solid up front. We certainly have to rise to the challenge."
The teams locked horns in an epic struggle a year ago. West Liberty battled back from a 38-10 halftime deficit to forge a tie before a track meet broke out in the fourth quarter. When the smoke had cleared, the teams had combined for 41 points in the final 15 minutes and the Falcons had escaped with a wild 59-51 victory.
Conwell and NDC quarterback Malik Grove each put up huge numbers. Grove completed 30-of-42 passes for 499 yards and 3 TDs but Conwell countered by going 24-of-42 through the air for 405 yards and 4 TDs while adding 84 more yards and two more scores on the ground. Falcon TB D.J. Greene ran for 142 yards and 3 TDs while a trio of Notre Dame wideouts had 100-yard receiving nights, paced by Mitchell Shegos' 11 catches for 148 yards. 
Jeremiah Ortiz paced the WLU rushing attack with 91 yards on 19 carries while McCallum and fellow WR Daree Goodwin combined to catch 15 passes for 273 yards and 3 TDs.
"I still believe in my guys and they still believe in each other," Waialae said. "We are capable of beating anybody we line up against but mistakes get magnified when the game comes down to the final possession. We have put ourselves in position to win but that's not enough. We need somebody to step up and make the play that puts us over the top.  That's the challenge we have to meet this week."
GAME NOTES
X In 12 years under Waialae, the Hilltoppers are 44-11 when leading after the first quarter and 11-36 when trailing at the start of the second quarter
X In a strange twist, West Liberty is 0-3 this season when it takes a lead into the second quarter but has a 3-0 mark when trailing after the first quarter
X Conwell has passed Tim Hicks (1998-2002) for the No. 2 spot on WLU's career total offense list with 7,130 yards
X Sophomore LB Cliff Clark leads the MEC and ranks No. 8 nationally with 46 solo tackles
X Notre Dame QB Malik Grove leads the MEC and ranks among the Top 10 nationally in total offense (325.4 ypg.) and touchdown passes (23)
X Falcon WR Mitchell Shegos' 256 career catches and 3,276 career receiving yards rank No. 1 among all active NCAA Division II players
X Notre Dame return ace Marvelle Ross had a 59-yard punt return TD at Malone and an 86-yard kick return TD vs. W.Va. State
X First-year Falcon head coach Mike Jacobs was an offensive lineman on two Sugar Bowl teams at Ohio State from 1997 to 2001