The Charger football team's six-game winning streak came to an end against the same team the streak began against last year.
Hillsdale fell to 2-1 on the season thanks to a 37-20 loss to Tiffin University Saturday afternoon in Ohio. The Chargers now stand at 1-1 in the GLIAC.
With 3:22 left in the second quarter, backup quarterback David Ritchie threw his first career touchdown pass to sophomore Austin Sandusky, giving Hillsdale a 14-10 lead. To that point, the Chargers controlled the ball effectively, and were playing at its preferred pace.
However, from the start of Tiffin's next possession, which started with 3:26 left in the second quarter, until 39 seconds remained in the third quarter, the Dragons ran 35 plays that gained 215 yards. Hillsdale ran four offensive plays, gaining one yard. In that span, the Chargers went from a 14-10 lead to a 30-14 deficit.
Part of that swing came thanks to Tiffin's effectiveness on third down. Coming into this game, the Hillsdale defense limited opponents to 4-for-23 on third and fourth-down plays. But Tiffin stepped up on third down, finishing the game 10-for-15 on third-down plays.
The Dragons possessed the ball for 20:37 of the second half, compared to just 9:23 of possession time for the Chargers. Tiffin also held a huge edge in rushing yards, outgaining Hillsdale 268-81.
Redshirt-freshman Steven Ficyk got his first career start at quarterback, and finished the game completing 18-of-29 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown. He found junior Timmy Mills on a 35-yard touchdown pass that made the score 30-20, but the Chargers would get no closer.
Sophomore wide receiver Trey Brock had another big ballgame, catching six passes for 136 yards. He caught a 43-yard pass that helped set up the TD pass to Mills early in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore tailback Joe Reverman gained 77 rushing yards and scored the first touchdown of the game, on Hillsdale's opening drive.
Defensively, Wain Clarke and Spencer Nehls each registered 10 total tackles. Junior Jay Rose had nine total tackles, with eight of them solo stops. Rose, Drew Mallery, Ryan Rogers and Casey Schukow all recorded tackles for loss in the game.
Hillsdale had won six in a row, dating back to Oct. 24, 2015, a 38-24 homecoming win over Tiffin. It was the Chargers' longest multi-season winning streak since it won nine in a row between 1991-92.
PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Klopfer
UP NEXT: Hillsdale hosts Michigan Tech at its annual homecoming game at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24.