Schedule
Tiffin (2-0, 1-0 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (0-1, 0-1 G-MAC) | 5 p.m. ET Saturday, April 3 | Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium | Hillsdale, MI
Follow/Watch
Live Stats vs Tiffin | Webcast vs Findlay | Tickets (On sale at 3 p.m. on Thursday)
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Tiffin Roster | 2021 Hillsdale Stats | 2021 Tiffin Stats | G-MAC Schedule | Hillsdale Preview | Hillsdale Game Notes | Tiffin Game Notes
Scouting the Opposition
The defending G-MAC champions after running the table in conference play in 2019, Tiffin has picked up where they left off with wins over Walsh and Gannon to open the season.
Through two games, the Dragons boast the G-MAC's best offense in terms of yardage, and one of its best defenses. Returning G-MAC Offensive Player of the Year Nick Watson leads the league in passing yards per game and is third in rushing yards per game for Tiffin.
The dynamic dual-threat quarterback is aided by a strong complimentary ground game. Despite the loss of tailback JaQuan Hardy, the 2019 G-MAC MVP, Tiffin hasn't missed a beat, leading the league in rushing yards per game. Redshirt freshman tailback Marcus Davis has stepped into the role and is leading the G-MAC in yards per game (74) and rushing touchdowns (two), while true freshman Devin Nelson provides a nice change of pace.
Receivers Devin Butler (a first-team All-G-MAC player in 2019), James Dean and Anthony Lowe all are over 100 yards receiving on the season for the Dragons and give Watson a variety of threats to attack opponents downfield.
Defensively, Tiffin also looks strong, although the Dragons have yet to be tested against the G-MAC's top offenses. Tiffin is currently ranked second in scoring defense (10.5 points per game) and has the league's top defense against the pass so far.
Defensive end Charlie Cleveland, a first-team All-G-MAC defensive player, leads the Tiffin defense with 14 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in two games, and sophomore defensive tackle LaDonnis Griffin and junior defensive end Latrell Robinson have combined for three sacks.
Jacob Mertus, a senior, is the leading tackler among Tiffin's linebackers, and in the secondary, senior Chrystian Watkins leads the Dragons with three pass break ups and sophomore Jermaine Wimpye has an interception as well.
On special teams, kickers AJ Nickoli and David Orlando are sharing the duties so far, combining to go 9 for 9 on extra points but missing Tiffin's only field goal attempt to date. Orlando also serves as the punter and is averaging 36.7 yards per punt, with five inside the 20.
Tiffin is coached by Cris Reisert, who is in his second year after guiding the Dragons to a 9-1 record and the G-MAC championship and the team's first-ever NCAA Division II playoff berth in his first season. Prior to Tiffin, Reisert spent several years as an assistant at the Division I and II levels, most recently as Ohio Dominican's offensive coordinator for the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
The Series
Hillsdale leads the all-time series with Tiffin 8-5. The series started in 2004 with a 15-13 Tiffin victory, and after that loss Hillsdale dominated the next decade, going 5-1 against the Dragons. In the last six seasons, however, the series has become hotly contested, with Tiffin winning three of the five most recent meetings, including a 35-24 victory last year that helped clinch the Dragons' first-ever G-MAC title.
Other Notes
- This Saturday marks Hillsdale's first contest since a 45-24 loss to Findlay on March 13. The Chargers have had games against Kentucky Wesleyan and Lake Erie cancelled in back-to-back weeks entering this week's contest.
- Hillsdale returns four All-G-MAC honorees from last season's squad: G-MAC co-Freshman of the Year Luke Keller, first-team defensive back Zach Herzog, second-team wide receiver Konnor Maloney, and second-team linebacker Alex Anschutz.
- Maloney, a senior wide receiver, is on track to become an all-time great in several statistical categories at Hillsdale College. The Lansing, Michigan native is seventh all-time in career receiving yards at Hillsdale, with 1,996, and 10th in career receptions with 118. Maloney needs two touchdown catches to break into the career top 10 for that stat as well. Maloney's 891 receiving yards in the 2018 season are also tenth all-time on Hillsdale's single-season record list.
- Special teams has been an important part of Hillsdale's success under Otterbein, and they're off to a strong start this season. Redshirt freshman Caden Goggins leads the G-MAC in kick return average (22 yards per attempt) and freshman Julian Lee has the G-MAC's second-longest field goal so far (33 yards)
- Sophomore quarterback Luke Keller's 2,113 passing yards as a redshirt freshman in 2019 have him on an impressive career trajectory. He's just 1,695 yards behind Brian Boyse ('89) for 10th all time in career passing yardage. His 17 passing touchdowns also have him closing in on the top 10 all time list in that stat as well with several seasons of eligibility remaining.
- A senior captain, Alex Anschutz led the Chargers with 15 tackles in the loss to Findlay on March 13, and is currently the G-MAC leader in tackles per game. An accomplished student, he's also one of four active football players to earn the President's Scholar-Athlete Award from Hillsdale this spring for maintaining a 3.8 or higher GPA throughout his time with the Chargers, along with Joey Brenner, Cole Johnson and Nathan LaFree.
- The Charger football program has long been known for its strong family tradition, and that continues in 2021 with five sets of brothers on the active roster: Ben Affholter and Nick Affholter, Matt Harding and Michael Harding, Michael Herzog and Zach Herzog, Bryan Hickey and Jacob Hickey, and Calvin McNellie and Carson McNellie. A sixth pair includes Garrett McKenzie and his brother Gavin, a student coach with the football team this season. Numerous other players have parents, grandparents or siblings that played football for Hillsdale College in the past.
- With 114 wins entering his 19th season with the Chargers, 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.
