For the third time in four weeks, the Hillsdale College football team is represented in the G-MAC's Player of the Week awards – and for the second time, multiple Chargers are receiving honors.
Sophomore wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa was named the G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week and senior linebacker Kyle Kudla was named the G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday afternoon.
It's the third weekly conference honor of TeSlaa's career and his second in three weeks as the sophomore continued his record-threatening pace with another huge contest in the Chargers' 17-10 road win over Missouri S&T on Saturday.
TeSlaa finished with eight catches for 177 yards and both of Hillsdale's touchdowns in the game, accounting for more than half of the Chargers' scrimmage yards in the contest. The sophomore caught a 76-yard bomb from senior quarterback Luke Keller for his first score with two seconds left in the first half to give Hillsdale a 10-3 lead, then put the Chargers ahead for good with a 25-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.
Through four games, TeSlaa is on pace to break the single-season Chargers records for both receiving yards and touchdowns, though there's still a long road to reach that point. His 572 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions not only lead the G-MAC but are top five in the nation at the NCAA Division II level, and his connection with Keller so far in 2022 is calling to mind great quarterback/receiver tandems from Hillsdale teams of the past.
While TeSlaa's standout performance helped put Hillsdale over the top against the Miners, it was Kudla and the defense coming up with stop after stop in the second half to keep the Chargers ahead late and seal the victory.
The senior finished with a team-high eight tackles, 2.5 for loss, to help the Chargers hold down Missouri S&T late. He was especially critical in shutting down multiple Miners drives in the fourth quarter, recording a key pass breakup and an important sack on back to back drives to keep S&T off the scoreboard late.
Kudla, who is receiving the second weekly conference honor of his career, is having a stellar final season for the Chargers. He's currently second in the G-MAC and in the top 30 nationally with 37 tackles through four games, and he's fourth in the G-MAC in tackles for loss with six.
Both TeSlaa and Kudla should be big factors again this weekend as Hillsdale travels to Kentucky Wesleyan looking to stay unbeaten in G-MAC play in a game that starts at 7 p.m. ET.
Photos by Anthony Lupi