Preview: Chargers continue season-opening road swing with trip to Michigan Tech

Schedule

Hillsdale College (0-1, 0-0 G-MAC) at Michigan Tech (0-0, 0-0 GLIAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 9 | Kearly Stadium | Houghton, Michigan

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Additional Info

Hillsdale Roster | Michigan Tech Roster | 2023 Hillsdale Stats | 2023 Michigan Tech Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings | Game Notes

Last Week

The Chargers came out swinging on the road against a ranked opponent in #20/21 Indianapolis, scoring a touchdown on their first drive and holding a 14-12 lead midway through the second quarter behind a strong rushing attack. But Hillsdale was unable to keep the Greyhounds' potent passing attack in check in the second half, as UIndy outscored Hillsdale 24-6 on the back of three long touchdown throws. The Chargers put up 409 yards of total offense in a solid performance to open the season, led by 148 yards on the ground and two touchdowns from senior tailback Mike Herzog.

Scouting the Opposition

The Huskies have been a middle-of-the-pack team in what is arguably the best football conference at the NCAA DII level, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Michigan Tech is coming off a 4-7 mark in 2022 that led to a coaching change, with former offensive coordinator Dan Mettlach taking over for Steve Olson, and is looking to build towards a breakthrough in their league and return to the NCAA DII playoffs for the first time since 2014.

The key area of improvement for Michigan Tech if it wants to get back to winning ways in 2023 will have to be the offense, as the Huskies were at or near the bottom of the league in virtually every category in 2022, and must replace both multi-year starting quarterback Will Ark and top backup Steele Fortress.

Sophomore Alex Fries will get the first crack at the starting job and will have an excellent receiving corps to throw to, as the Huskies return both preseason All-American and 1,000-yard receiver in 2022 Darius Willis, as well as complimentary receivers Ethan Champney and Brandon Michalak.

To have more success offensively, Michigan Tech must get more out of a rushing attack that finished with just 770 total yards on the ground in 2022. Top tailback William Marano returns, and the Huskies will hope a retooled offensive line with four new starters alongside left tackle Preston Graf can produce better results.

On defense, Michigan Tech has the makings of a strong unit, led by junior linebacker Marc Sippel, a preseason All-American and one of the nation's leading tacklers with 131 in 2022.

Along with Sippel, the Huskies return seven of their top eight tacklers, including standout safeties Hunter Buechel and Michael Bates Jr. as well as top pass rusher Josh Cribben, whose 5.5 sacks led Michigan Tech last season and leading cover man Sam Ahern, whose four interceptions were tops for the Huskies as well.

With an experienced crew, Michigan Tech has a good chance of increasing both its sack total and number of turnovers forced in 2023. The strength of the defense should give a developing offense time to get in rhythm before the Huskies hit a tough late-season stretch.

Michigan Tech returns an excellent kicker in Drew Wyble, who hit 6 of 7 field goals and 30 of 32 extra points in 2022, as well as punter Brenden Lach, who averaged 40.7 yards per punt last season. Willis is also a dynamic return man as well as an excellent receiver and gives the Huskies a home run threat on kick and punt returns as well.

Mettlach, in his first season running the program, was an All-American quarterback and a 2004 GLIAC Player of the Year at Michigan Tech before stepping into coaching. He spent time as an assistant at various places across the Midwest, including a stint at Hillsdale College as a quarterbacks coach in 2011, before returning to Tech as an offensive coordinator in 2017.

The Series

In a series that's been contested since Hillsdale and Michigan Tech were both members of the GLIAC in 1980, the Chargers hold a 19-12 edge, but the Huskies have closed the gap in recent years with four straight wins. The games in this series are usually tight, with two overtime contests in the last seven and five of the last seven games decided by four points or less, and in the final two minutes of the contest. That includes back-to-back Michigan Tech wins in 2021 (14-10) and 2022 (28-24). Hillsdale's last victory in the series was a 31-27 win in 2017.

Other Notes

• Senior tailback Michael Herzog got the 2023 season off to a roaring start last weekend, rushing for 148 yards and two touchdowns against a UIndy defense that returned eight starters from the GLVC's stingiest outfit against the run in 2022. Herzog had a breakout season last year, putting up 940 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, the most by a Chargers running back since All-American David Graham in 2019. The dynamic back gets plenty of help up front, running behind an experienced offensive line that returns all five starters from last season's squad, led by All-G-MAC center Nick Affholter.
• Hillsdale's 409 yards of offense against UIndy to open the season surpassed all but two contests for the Chargers in 2022, a 35-31 win over Lake Erie and a 41-7 win at Northwood. That performance came against a Greyhounds unit that was the top defense in the GLVC last year and one of the top defenses in the nation by the numbers,
• The safety position should be a strength defensively for the Chargers in 2023. Sophomore Vince Francescone was a star for the Chargers defensively in his first season in 2022, finishing second on the team in tackles (74) and tying for the team lead in interceptions with fellow safety Sam Zemis, who was fourth on the team in tackles. Both players return and should spearhead the coverage units for Hillsdale in 2023.
• Junior captain Riley Tolsma was a revelation in 2022, becoming Hillsdale's most effective pass rusher at defensive end in his first full season as a starter with team highs in sacks (7.5) and tackles for loss (11). Tolsma's 7.5 sacks were the most by a Charger in a single season since current Los Angeles Ram Zach VanValkenburg had 8.5 in 2018. The junior will be a major player up front for the Chargers in 2023 along with veteran nose tackle Zachary Tokie and defensive end Trevor DeGroote, both of whom played significant roles in 2022.
• A three-time All-G-MAC honoree, senior tight end Michael Harding should be a focal point of Hillsdale's offense in 2023. Harding is the third of three brothers to play for the Chargers, following in the footsteps of siblings Steve and Matt, and was one of the program's top receivers in 2022, finishing third on the team in catches and yardage and second in receiving touchdowns. Harding will continue to be an important part of Hillsdale's run-blocking up front, and could see his role as a receiver grow in his final season at Hillsdale.
• The Charger football program continued to shine academically this past season, with five players earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, including Harding and Tolsma. In addition, 51 Hillsdale football players received Academic All-G-MAC honors for posting a 3.3 or better cumulative GPA through the spring 2023 semester.
• The Charger football program has long been known for its strong family tradition, and that continues in 2023 with multiple sets of brothers on the roster. On the offensive line, twin brothers Nick Affholter and Benjamin Affholter (Quincy, MI/Reading) will hold down interior line spots for the third straight season, and are joined on the roster by younger brother Zac Affholter, a true freshman lineman. All three are sons of Brad Affholter, a multi-year starter on the Charger offensive line in the mid-90s and an assistant coach with the team in 2023. There are several other sibling duos on the team – twin brothers Josh Lee and Sam Lee (Toledo, OH/Central Catholic) return as sophomores this season, as do junior tight end Ben Hinrichs and his younger brother, Christian (Escondido, CA/Classical Academy). Also in 2023, Hillsdale sophomore wide receiver Corban Creason (Coppell, TX/Founders Classical Academy) is joined by his younger brother, Christian, and sophomore offensive lineman John VanOpstall (Jenison, MI/Jenison) is joined by his younger brother, Chris. Along with those sibling pairs, several other players on the roster have older brothers, fathers or grandfathers who suited up for previous Charger teams.
• Hillsdale's longest-tenured assistant coach received a prestigious honor in the offseason as Offensive Coordinator Nate Shreffler was named the American Football Coaches Association's NCAA DII Assistant Coach of the Year for 2022. Shreffler is entering his 25^th season with the Chargers and was recognized for both his outstanding contributions to Hillsdale's success on the field, and his work running the Chargers' "Guys With Ties" program that helps teach elementary school kids confidence and proper etiquette through interactions with players on the football team.
• With 127 wins to date, Otterbein is third all-time in career coaching victories at Hillsdale, trailing two Charger Athletics Hall of Famers in Frank "Muddy" Waters (138) and Dick Lowry (134). If he maintains his current career pace of wins per season, Otterbein would pass Waters for the all-time record in the fall of 2024.

Photo by Emma Purdy