West Liberty, W.Va. – The West Liberty University football team will make the drive to the capital city for a Thursday night match-up on the gridiron against MEC leading Charleston. The Hilltoppers and Golden Eagles are set for a 7 p.m. kickoff at University of Charleston Stadium in Charleston, West Virginia.

GAME DETAILS

• Location: Charleston, W.Va. (University of Charleston Stadium)
• Kickoff: 7 P.M.

WEST LIBERTY STORYLINES

• West Liberty enters Thursday's game with a 3-5 (3-4 MEC) record on the season following a 40-35 loss at home to Notre Dame two weeks ago. The Hilltoppers are currently tied for seventh place in the Mountain East Conference standings.
• West Liberty is averaging 25.8 points per game with 296.6 passing and 66.3 rushing yards per game, accumulating an average of 362.9 yards of total offense through eight games. The Hilltopper offense has scored 18 touchdowns through the air and seven on the ground during the season.
• West Liberty ranks within the top-25 of NCAA Division II in six statistical categories, ranking fourth in blocked punts (4), sixth in blocked kicks (7), seventh in passing offense (298.9), 12^th in 3^rd down conversion percentage (47.9%), 20^th in 4^th down conversion percentage defense (28.6%), and 23^rd in time of possession (31:59).
• The Black & Gold's passing attack is led by Rudy Garcia who leads the MEC completions per game (25.12), passing yards per game (273.8), and total passing yards (2,190), while ranking fifth, eighth, and 15^th in DII respectively. He has thrown 17 passing touchdowns this season which ranks third in the MEC and 29^th nationally.
• Rashawn Harvey has been one of the top wide receivers in the country this season, leading the conference in receiving yards per game (105.5), total receiving yards (844), and receiving touchdowns (8). Nationally he ranks sixth, 12^th, 15^th respectively. He also ranks second in the MEC in receptions per game (7.5) and is eighth nationally.
• Chris Charles has also been a threat at wide out this season as he ranks second in the MEC in receiving touchdowns (7) and is third in receptions per game (6.9), receiving yards per game (82.6), and total receiving yards (661). In DII he ranks 23^rd, 12^th, 25^th, and 30^th respectively.
• The WLU rushing attack has come to life during the past five games, averaging 91.8 yards per game and posted back-to-back 100 yard rushing games against Concord (102) and Glenville State (120). Khadeem Richards has been the go to running back, rushing for 291 yards and four touchdowns this season, while Garcia has also added three rushing touchdowns of his own.
• On the defensive side of the ball WLU has accumulated 451.0 tackles with 51.0 tackles-for-loss and 13.0 sacks. The Hilltopper defense has forced nine turnovers this year, with five interceptions and four fumble recoveries.
• Trent Crawford and Cam Rice are tied for the team lead with 42.0 tackles apiece in 2023, while Rice has tallied a team leading 15.5 tackles-for loss and 5.5 sacks.
• Rice has earned a pair of MEC Defensive Player of the Week honors with 12.0 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, and 1.5 sacks at WVWC, and 7.0 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, and 3.0 sacks at Concord. His 12.0 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, and 3.0 sacks are all career-high marks. He ranks sixth in the country and second in the conference with 1.9 tackle-for-loss per game, while also ranking 44^th nationally and fourth in the league with 0.69 sacks per game.
• Brennen Bailey and Chris Wilson lead the defense with two interceptions apiece, while also notching six and four pass break-ups. Wilson returned one interception for a touchdown in the win at WVWC.
• Justin Kaplan has made five consecutive field goals entering the week. He is four-of-five from 30 yards or more and has hit a long of 42 yards this season, occurring in a win over Glenville State.
• West Liberty has converted 66-of-140 (47.1%) third down attempts compared to 36-of-107 (33.6%) for their opponents. The Black & Gold are 8-of-14 (57.1%) on fourth down attempts while their opponents are 2-of-7 (28.6%). In the red zone the Hilltoppers are 20-of-28 on the season with 15 touchdowns and five field goals while their opponents are 26-of-34 with 20 touchdowns and six field goals.
• Roger Waialae is in his 19^th season as the head coach at West Liberty with a career record of 95-105 with the Hilltoppers. Waialae is currently the longest tenured coach in the MEC and holds the second most wins all-time in WLU football history.

(RV) CHARLESTON STORYLINES

• Charleston enters Thursday's game with a 7-1 (6-1 MEC) record on the season following a 28-25 home win over Frostburg State last weekend. The Golden Eagles are currently first place in the Mountain East Conference standings and are third in the Super Region One rankings.
• UC is averaging 43.9 points per game with 221.9 passing and 234.9 rushing yards per game, accumulating an average 456.8 yards of total offense through eight games. The Golden Eagle offense has scored 22 touchdowns through the air and 20 on the ground during the season.
• Charleston ranks within the top-25 of NCAA Division II in nine statistical categories, ranking third in 4^th down conversion percentage (76.9%) and defensive touchdowns (4), eighth in scoring offense (43.9), ninth in rushing offense (232.6), 13^th in total offense (454.5), 14^th in team passing efficiency (160.62), 18^th in blocked punts (2), 19^th in 3^rd down conversion percentage defense (29.6%), and 22^nd in team passing efficiency defense (103.72).
• Javonte Howard has completed 124-of-200 passing attempts for 1,718 yards and a league-best 20 touchdowns.
• Two running backs have made an impact on the ground game for UC as Chavon Wright has rushed for 1,027 yards and 13 touchdowns while Alex Brink has rushed for 528 yards and three touchdowns. Wright leads the MEC and ranks fifth in rushing yards per game (128.4), sixth in total rushing yards, and eighth in rushing touchdowns in NCAA Division II.
• Howard has three key targets at wide out as Tae Marrero has hauled in 31 receptions for 526 yards and nine touchdowns, Yves Bosmans has hauled in 33 receptions for 411 yards and four touchdowns, and Marquan Herron has hauled in 19 receptions for 379 receptions and four touchdowns.
• On the defensive side of the ball UC has accumulated 502.0 tackles with 61.0 tackles-for-loss and 24.0 sacks. The Golden Eagle defense has forced 14 turnovers on the year, intercepting nine passes and recovering five fumbles.
• Aden Miller has totaled a team-high 52.0 tackles this season while adding 2.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack, one interception, and one forced fumble.
• Nick Evens has made his presence felt in the opponent's backfield this season as he has notched a team-best 9.5 tackles-for-loss and 8.0 sacks.
• Roderick Webb is the leader in the defensive secondary, breaking up six passes while intercepting three.
• Tim McCutchen is 7-of-13 on field goal attempts this season and has only made two of his last five attempts. He has a season-long of 43 yards in the season opener against Gannon.
• Charleston has converted 36-of-90 (40.0%) third down attempts compared to 37-of-126 (29.4%) for their opponents. The Golden Eagles are 10-of-13 (76.9%) on fourth down attempts while their opponents are 8-of-20 (40.0%) in eight games. In the red zone UC is 29-of-35 on the season with 23 touchdowns and six field goals, while their opponents are 25-of-33 with 13 touchdowns and 12 field goals.
• Quinn Sanders is in his second season as the head coach at Charleston with a record of 13-6 during his time with the Golden Eagles.

SERIES HISTORY

• Charleston leads the all-time series 17-14-1 and has won seven of the last nine meetings.
• The Golden Eagles won the last meeting 34-26 at West Family Stadium on November 16, 2019.