Schedule
Lake Erie (1-7, 0-6 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (3-5, 3-3 G-MAC) | 2 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 28 | Frank "Muddy" Waters Stdaium | Hillsdale, Michigan
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Hillsdale Roster | Lake Erie Roster | 2023 Hillsdale Stats | 2023 Lake Erie Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
Last Week
Tied 21-21 at the half in a tough road contest at Thomas More, Hillsdale scored 14 third quarter points to pull ahead by two touchdowns, then held off a late rally by the Saints to pull off a thrilling 35-33 victory on the road. During Thomas More's fourth quarter comeback, the Chargers' Hunter Sperling blocked an extra point on the Saints' first touchdown that forced Thomas More to go for two following the second score to try and force overtime with 31 seconds to play. The Chargers got the stop they needed to seal the victory. Hillsdale quarterback Garrit Aissen threw four touchdown passes, two to freshman Shea Ruddy, and Michael Herzog stretched his streak of games with a rushing touchdown to nine after a one yard score.
Scouting the Opposition
A promising start that included a thrilling come-from-behind victory at Northern Michigan has gone sideways for Lake Erie, who enter this weekend having lost six straight games. The Storm are the only currently winless team in G-MAC play, and have not come within single digits of a win since that contest against the Wildcats on Sept. 9.
Although it's been a rough ride for Lake Erie as of late, the Storm do have some weapons to work with, and are coming off one of their best performances to date, hanging with the current second-place team in the G-MAC, Ashland, for four quarters in a 31-19 defeat.
Lake Erie's offense revolves around senior quarterback Xeavier Bullock, who is both the team's top rushing threat with 265 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and has thrown for 1,482 yards through the air, albeit on a 49.36% completion percentage.
Tailbacks Raphael Jones Jr and Corey Polk each have three rushing touchdowns as well for the Storm, while senior wide receiver Jovohn Tucker has been a prolific pass catcher for Lake Erie, with 566 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Lake Erie has struggled on defense, giving up 30 or more points to every G-MAC team the Storm have faced so far. Senior linebacker Jorge Sanchez is a playmaker for the Storm on the defensive side of the ball, with a team-high 54 tackles, 4.5 for loss, and two interceptions, while defensive back Euvoski Cunningham has 44 tackles and three pass breakups as well.
The Storm have a solid special teams unit that's their strongest relative to other G-MAC squads. Kicker Ian Scannell is 5 for 7 on field goals with a long of 40, while punter Daniel Jamieson is averaging 38.1 yards per punt.
Lake Erie currently has the lowest ranked offense and defense in G-MAC play, and will have to make major improvements in both areas in order to put together a strong finish.
Storm head coach D.J. Boldin is in his second season as the head coach at Lake Erie after going 3-8 the previous year, and came to the Storm from Pahokee High School in Florida, where he was the head coach. A first-team All-ACC wide receiver at Wake Forest as a player, Boldin also spent three seasons coaching in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers before returning to the high school level as a head coach. He's the younger brother of former NFL All-Pro wide receiver Anquan Boldin.
The Series
Hillsdale has a 9-1 lead all time in the series against Lake Erie, dominating the early contests against the Storm, with five of the first eight Hillsdale victories by two or more touchdowns. The series has tightened up recently, however, as the Chargers lost a 33-14 contest to Lake Erie in 2021, then had to rally from a two-touchdown deficit in the second half for a 35-31 victory at Lake Erie last season.
Other Notes
- Senior tailback Michael Herzog is one of the top running backs statistically in the nation, not just in the G-MAC. His 846 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns not only lead the G-MAC in both categories, but rank tenth and tied for fourth, respectively, among all players at the NCAA DII level. Herzog had a breakout season last year, putting up 940 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground and earning first team All-G-MAC honors. Now, he's aiming to be the first Chargers running back to go over 1,000 yards in a season since All-American David Graham in 2019, and needs 154 yards over the next three games to reach that goal.
- Senior tight end Michael Harding earned a prestigious honor by being named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy in September. Harding, a three-time All-G-MAC tight end, was nominated for the award, considered by many to be the academic equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, both for his outstanding play on the football field and his impressive achievements in the classroom. Finalists for the award will be announced on Oct. 25. Hillsdale's last Campbell Award finalist was quarterback Mark Nicolet in 2008. After missing several weeks earlier this season with an injury, Harding is back on the field for the Chargers and will play against the Storm this weekend.
- Redshirt freshman linebacker Jacob Vance is making the most of his opportunity over the last few weeks. Vance didn't play in two of Hillsdale's first three contests this season, but after stepping into the lineup against Findlay on Sept. 23, he's been a difference-maker for Hillsdale, recording 39 tackles and two sacks in five games, including 12 tackles in a win over Northwood. Vance should be an important player down the stretch for the Chargers as Hillsdale looks to finish the 2023 season strong.
- Junior Riley Tolsma is ramping up the pass rush for the Chargers in recent weeks, with 3.5 of his team-leading 4.5 sacks coming in the last four games, including a 1.5 sack performance in Hillsdale's win over Kentucky Wesleyan on Oct. 14. Tolsma also leads the Chargers in tackles for loss with eight, and has 36 total tackles as well. Tolsma led the Chargers last season with 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, and was named a team captain this offseason.
- Hillsdale has turned to a young receiving corps this season, with encouraging results. In just his second season with the Chargers, Sam Lee leads the team with 31 catches for 399 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while two true freshmen, Shea Ruddy and Jonathan Metzger, are also playing important roles. Ruddy became Hillsdale's first true freshman with a 100-plus yard receiving game since All-American Trey Brock in 2015, and has four receiving touchdowns and a rushing score on the season, while Metzger caught a 40-yard touchdown pass for his first career score against Kentucky Wesleyan on Oct. 14. All three players have a bright future with the Chargers.
- 2018 graduate Zach VanValkenburg recorded his first career NFL sack on Sunday, Oct. 8 in the Los Angeles Rams' 23-14 loss against the Philadelphia Eagles, and has seven tackles in his first NFL season. VanValkenburg was the G-MAC Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2018 while leading the Chargers in sacks and helping Hillsdale win a 2018 G-MAC title and make the NCAA DII Playoffs. After graduating from Hillsdale, VanValkenburg went on to play two seasons at the University of Iowa while getting his masters degree. He was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 but did not make the final roster. In January, he was signed by LA and made the 53-man roster for the 2023 season in August, becoming the first Charger since Jared Veldheer's retirement in 2021 to appear in an NFL game.
- 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 25th 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 130 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.