Despite another huge game by sophomore wide receiver Trey Brock, the Hillsdale College football team lost a 41-20 decision to Ferris State University Saturday afternoon at Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium.
Hillsdale stands at 4-5 overall and 3-5 in the GLIAC, while the 19th-ranked Bulldogs improve to 8-2 on the season.
Brock was a bright spot on a bright and sunny day in Hillsdale, as he continued to climb the receiving charts in Division II. He hauled in 9 catches for 160 yards and 3 touchdowns. He scored on plays of 61, 54 and 9 yards in the game, but it was his shortest scoring catch that might have been his toughest.
He was behind the defensive back, and reached around the defender and made a perfect two-handed grab while keeping his feet in bounds in what turned out to be the final score of the game. Brock's 61-yard catch came on the first play of the second quarter when he streaked down the middle of the field and outran the Bulldog defense, coming off a perfect throw by sophomore quarterback Chance Stewart.
The second touchdown connection between the two came with 10:16 left in the fourth quarter, when Stewart lofted a rainbow pass down the near sidelines, and Brock caught it perfectly in stride behind the defense.
Brock now ranks second in school history with 1,185 receiving yards this season, coming on just 69 catches in nine games. Even if he gets zero yards against Lake Erie next week, he will finish the season averaging 118.5 receiving yards per game, a new school record.
But the big, fast, strong and athletic Bulldogs were just too much for Hillsdale in this game. Led by dual-threat quarterback Reggie Bell, Ferris State rang up 451 yards of total offense, 260 of them coming on the ground. Both teams averaged nearly the same amount of yards per play, but Ferris State ran 13 more plays and held the ball for 33:48 compared to 26:12 for the Chargers.
The Bulldogs also forced a fumble on the first play of a Hillsdale drive in the first half while not committing any turnovers of their own.
Bell completed 13-of-22 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown, and ran 19 times for 77 yards and two scores. Jahaan Brown led the Bulldog offense with 140 rushing yards, scoring twice.
Ferris State's defense did an excellent job of holding down Hillsdale's running game. The Chargers had a season-low 26 rushing yards in the contest, thanks mainly to Ferris State's early 14-0 lead and its speed and bulk on the front seven of its defense.
Stewart was productive through the air, completing 27-of-42 passes for 338 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. However, the Ferris State defense sacked Stewart four times in the game.
Senior Ryan Potrykus set a career-high with 7 receptions for 45 yards in the game, while Austin Sandusky had 5 catches for 31 yards. H-back John Brennan, an emerging player on the offense, had a 43-yard reception, while junior tight end Austin Adams (pictured) had 2 catches for 43 yards.
Sophomore Wyatt Batdorff once again led the defense with 14 total tackles, including 7 solo stops. Junior Jay Rose has 9 tackles, and Scotty Penola and Wain Clarke had 6 apiece. Penola and Matt Hall each recorded sacks, and five different players broke up passes on the day.
UP NEXT: Hillsdale closes out the 2016 season at home next week versus Lake Erie College at noon.
PHOTO CREDIT: Carly Gouge