Senior Michael Herzog's debut season as a running back for Hillsdale College came two years later than he expected.
But Herzog is proving he was worth the wait.
The Charger tailback missed both the spring 2021 and fall 2021 season with a serious leg injury, but he's been sensational for Hillsdale in his return in 2022, and had his best game of the season to date in Saturday's 41-7 Hillsdale victory over Northwood on the road.
Herzog's performance -- 23 carries for 159 yards and three touchdowns -- has earned him larger recognition, as the G-MAC office announced on Monday afternoon that the senior has earned the conference's Football Offensive Player of the Week honors. It's Herzog's first weekly honor.
The Windsor, Ontario native was sensational throughout the contest, proving tough to bring down on run after run and doing most of his damage with the game still in doubt. Herzog averaged 6.2 yards per carry and scored both of Hillsdale's first half touchdowns, helping the Chargers take a 13-7 lead into halftime. He was also a key figure in Hillsdale's touchdown drive to start the second half that opened the floodgates -- using a 43 yard carry to set up his third touchdown of the day, from two yards out, that put the Chargers in control for good.
Herzog's day was the best game by a Charger running back since All-American David Graham in 2019, as the senior put up the most yards in a game and the most rushing touchdowns in a game since Graham in that season. At 680 yards on the season, Herzog leads the G-MAC in rushing yards through seven weeks and ranks 24th nationally. He's on pace to become the first Charger since Graham in 2019 and just the 10th player in Hillsdale history to break 1,000 rushing yards in a season if he stays healthy and continues to produce at the same level.
The Chargers and Herzog will look to finish the season strong in their final four games, beginning with a tough contest against rival Findlay this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium.
Photo by Anthony Lupi