WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – The West Liberty University football team kicks off the 2024 season against Walsh (Ohio) on Thursday night inside the friendly confines of West Family Stadium. The Hilltoppers will be looking to build on the momentum from a strong finish to the 2023 campaign that saw the Black and Gold prevail in four of their last six contests.
This is the first of three consecutive home games for the Hilltoppers to start the 2024 season. West Liberty will be back under the Thursday Night Lights next week to close out its non-conference slate against Limestone (S.C.). The Hilltoppers' first Saturday afternoon game is set for Sept. 14 when WLU welcomes Frostburg State to West Family Stadium for the annual Hall of Fame Game. Kickoff for that mutual Mountain East Conference lid-lifter is set for 1 p.m.
GAME DETAILS
Date: Thursday, August 29, 2024
Opponent: Walsh University (Great Midwest Athletic Conference)
Location: West Liberty, W.Va. (West Family Stadium)
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
WEST LIBERTY STORYLINES
- West Liberty posted a 4-6 (4-5 MEC) record in 2023, finishing in a 3-way tie for 7th place in the Mountain East Conference with W.Va. State and Wheeling
- The Hilltoppers were picked 8th earlier this month in the 2024 MEC Football Preseason Coaches' Poll
- Roger Waialae enters his 20th season as head coach at West Liberty with a career record of 96-106 with the Black and Gold
- West Liberty returns 10 starters and 37 lettermen from a year ago and has bolstered its roster with several significant additions from the transfer portal in addition to a stellar recruiting class
- Seven Hilltoppers earned All-MEC honors following the 2023 season: Cam Rice (DL – First-team All-MEC); Rashawn Harvey (WR – First-team All-MEC); Chris Charles (WR – Second-team All-MEC); Ryan Creech (OL – Second-team All-MEC); Rudy Garcia (QB – Honorable Mention All-MEC); Jesse Collins (TE – Honorable Mention All-MEC) and Chris Wilson (DB – Honorable Mention All-MEC)
- In addition, defensive lineman Delano Marcelus and linebacker Gage Fiore were first-team selections on the NCAA Division II Academic All-District Team
- Wilson, Marcelus and 2022 All-MEC defensive back Trent Crawford all return for the 2024 season
- The West Liberty offense averaged 25.4 points, 66.4 rushing yards, and 277.9 passing yards per game in 2023. The Hilltopper offense scored 27 touchdowns on the season with 7 by way of the ground game and 20 through the air
- On the defensive side of the ball WLU accumulated 66.0 tackles-for-loss, 18.0 sacks, and 17 takeaways (11 interceptions and 6 fumble recoveries). The Hilltoppers returned five interceptions and one blocked punt for touchdowns
- The 2023 West Liberty team ranked among the NCAA D2 leaders in multiple categories including: 4th-Down Conversion Percentage Defense (No. 2 – .200); Blocked Kicks (No. 4 – 9); Defensive Touchdowns (No. 5 – 5); Passing Offense (No. 11 – 277.9 ypg.); Blocked Punts (No. 11 – 3); Time of Possession (No. 16 – 32:14)
- Several individual players also achieved national prominence: Tackles For Loss (Cam Rice, 1st – 2.4/Game); Forced Fumbles/Game (Cam Rice, 5th – 0.40); QB Sacks (Cam Rice, 10th – 0.90/Game); Completions/Game (Rudy Garcia, 5th – 24.0); Passing Yards/Game (Rudy Garcia, 13th – 256.4); Receiving Yards/Game (Rashawn Harvey, 8th – 97.1); Receptions/Game (Rashawn Harvey, 8th – 7.1; Chris Charles, 11th – 6.9)
WALSH STORYLINES
- Walsh is coming off a 3-8 (1-8 G-MAC) season in 2023, good for a ninth-place finish in the 10-team Great Midwest Athletic Conference
- The Cavaliers were picked to finish ninth again when the 2024 G-MAC Preseason Coaches' Poll was released earlier this month
- Walsh had two players earn All-Conference recognition following the 2023 season. Sophomore linebacker Cam Hollobaugh was a first-team All-G-MAC selection and the G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference with 91 tackles, including 11.5 tackles-for-loss. Wide receiver Anthony Harris was a second-team All-Conference pick and the G-MAC Freshman of the Year with 35 catches for 610 yards and two TDs
- Hollobaugh and Harris each return to the Maroon and Gold this fall
- The Walsh offense averaged 14.8 points, 116.9 rushing yards, and 131.3 passing yards per game in 2023. The Cavalier offense scored 13 touchdowns on the season with eight by way of the ground game and five through the air.
- Defensively, Walsh was charted with 69.0 tackles-for-loss, 23.0 sacks, and 18 takeaways (12 interceptions and 6 fumble recoveries). The Cavaliers returned three fumbles, two interceptions and one punt for touchdowns
- Walsh came out of September with a 3-2 mark a year ago but never won again, finishing the season on a 6-game losing streak
- The Cavaliers have won just 7 of their last 37 games dating back to the 2020-21 COVID season
- Two former Hilltoppers are on the Walsh coaching staff. Zach Connor is in his third season as linebackers coach at the North Canton, Ohio school while Raphael Johnson is in his first year with the Cavaliers as defensive line coach
- John Fankhauser has a 14-44 record heading into his 7th season as head coach at Walsh
- Fankhauser got his start as a student assistant under future Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel on Youngstown State's 1993 and 1994 NCAA Division I-AA national championship teams
SERIES HISTORY
This will be the 16th meeting between the two programs. Walsh has won the last two encounters to take a slim 8-7 series lead
That includes last year's season opener which saw the host Cavaliers jump out to a 24-0 lead early in the second half before holding off a furious Hilltopper comeback to escape with a 24-21 decision
West Liberty and Walsh met every year from 1998 to 2009 but didn't get back together again until Oct. 19, 2019
The Hilltoppers pulled out a wild 41-38 decision that afternoon in an overtime thriller played at Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio
