GREENSBURG, Pa. — The West Liberty University football team will look to turn the page from a narrow season-opening loss when the Hilltoppers travel to Seton Hill for a 4 p.m. matchup Saturday at Offutt Field.

West Liberty enters the contest at 0-1 following a 30-27 setback against Walsh in the Aug. 27 opener. Despite the loss, the Hilltoppers piled up 446 yards of total offense, including 204 rushing yards and 242 through the air, and converted 9-of-15 third-down opportunities. West Liberty also rallied from a 30-13 deficit in the fourth quarter to pull within three before Walsh held on.

Head coach Chad Salisbury said the biggest takeaway from reviewing the opener has been the belief that the problems are correctable. "We matched up with them physically," Salisbury said. "They're a very well-coached team. They were never going to give us anything, and we gave it to them too many times. We made too many mistakes, and that's what we need to fix."

That confidence has carried into practice throughout the week. "Had it been the other way around, it would be a little scary and we'd be trying to manufacture plays and manufacture ways to stop people," Salisbury said. "I think the way to stop people and the way to score points is just to execute. And if we do that better, we have the ability to be good at those things."

Senior running back Hunter Patterson was one of the Hilltoppers' biggest offensive weapons in the opener, accounting for 249 all-purpose yards. Patterson rushed for 142 yards on 14 carries and added 107 receiving yards on 10 catches while scoring two touchdowns.

Patterson also enters Saturday within striking distance of a career milestone. He needs just 72 rushing yards to reach 2,000 career rushing yards.

Quarterback Kohl Meisman completed 21-of-36 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns against Walsh while adding 33 rushing yards. Freshman wide receiver Dominic Diaz-Ellis added two catches for 63 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown reception.

The Hilltopper defense produced several bright spots in the opener, recording five tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception. Freshman defensive back Luca Neal turned in a standout collegiate debut with 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble, earning MEC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Salisbury said one of the things he appreciated most about his team's opener was the way the Hilltoppers continued to compete regardless of the situation. "The thing that just keeps coming to me is that they stuck together," Salisbury said. "There was never quit. There was never complaining about the other unit. There was support of the other unit, especially the kick game."

Seton Hill also enters Saturday's game at 0-1, coming off a 27-20 loss to East Stroudsburg in its season opener. The Griffins totaled 318 yards of offense, including 217 passing yards and 101 rushing yards.

Quarterback Boden St Marie completed 14-of-29 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown, while Ahmad Ward led the Seton Hill rushing attack with 52 yards on nine carries. Wide receiver Ryan Keith caught two passes for 65 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown.

Defensively, linebacker Lucas Simone recorded a game-high 18 tackles in the opener, while De'Mario Manning added nine tackles, an interception and a 20-yard return.

Salisbury, who spent much of his coaching career in Pennsylvania, knows what to expect from the Griffins. "I've coached against them a lot in the PA, and they play a really, really unique, aggressive defense," Salisbury said. "It causes a lot of challenges in the blocking schemes in the run game and the pass game." He also cautioned that Seton Hill's offense can create problems with its versatility. "They've got a guy. He's throwing a lot of different things. He's a multiple guy. He's thrown some wildcat stuff in there," Salisbury said. "So our defense has a lot to prepare for."

For Salisbury and the Hilltoppers, one of the primary objectives this week has been getting off to a quicker start. After meeting with the team's captains, Salisbury said the players themselves identified that as an area that needed improvement. "The coolest thing about this week is I met with the captains and I asked them for their opinion and their opinion was, 'Coach, we need to start practice faster,'" Salisbury said. "I'm like, 'I agree,' and I think we're all thinking alike."

That emphasis applies to Saturday's opening kickoff as well.

"We need to start quicker, whether it be practice or the game or the first kickoff or the first series," Salisbury said. "We need to start faster, be locked in."

West Liberty owns a 7-2 all-time record against Seton Hill, although the Griffins won last year's meeting 42-21. The Hilltoppers won five of the six meetings between 2007 and 2012.

Saturday's game is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Offutt Field in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.




West Liberty University blends a small-town environment with a comprehensive college experience, fostering students' aspirations through hands-on learning, personalized support, and unique academic programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Learn more at westliberty.edu.