To virtually everyone paying attention, the script on Saturday's football clash between Hillsdale College and Ashland had already been written before the coin toss.
The Eagles were the sixth-ranked team in the nation at the NCAA Division II level, an undefeated juggernaut with a perfect record, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference's top offense and defense and a clear path to an undefeated season and deep NCAA DII playoff run. The Chargers, meanwhile, were 4-4, losers of three of their last four games, and staring down the barrel of the program's first losing season since 2015.
But, everyone writing off Hillsdale from the start learned a valuable lesson on Saturday afternoon -- there's a reason they play the games on the field. For 60 minutes, the Chargers looked like the better team, taking the lead right before halftime and never looking back in a 36-20 upset that might be the largest in the nation at the NCAA DII level this season.
With the victory, Hillsdale captured the Traveling Trophy awarded to the winner of the game between the two squads for the first time since 2011, and pulled off their first victory over a top 10 ranked team since beating #3 Grand Valley St. University 34-31 on the road on Sept. 10, 2011.
Ashland jumped out in front twice in the first half, opening the game with a 16 play, 80 yard drive to go up 7-0 eight minutes into the first quarter. Hillsdale responded on the next drive with a 10 play, 79 yard touchdown drive of their own to answer, with a highlight-reel catch by Isaac TeSlaa setting up a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Luke Keller.
After the Eagles took a 10-7 lead on a second quarter field goal, Hillsdale went ahead for the first time and for good with a 75 yard, nine play drive capped by a one-yard touchdown run from Mike Herzog to take a 14-10 edge right before halftime.
Ashland had a chance to go ahead early in the second quarter, drivng to the Hillsdale College five on their first possession, but the Charger defense came up with a huge stop to force a 32 yard field goal and retain a 14-13 lead.
On the ensuing possession, Hillsdale struck quickly to retake control, as Keller found tight end Ty Williams uncovered on a wheel route and the sophomore took the pass 42 yards to the end zone for his first career touchdown. A two-point conversion pass to Michael Harding was good to give the Chargers a 22-13 edge.
Ashland answered back with a 55-yard touchdown pass to cut Hillsdale's lead to 22-20 with 2:46 to play in the third quarter, then got the ball back after stopping the Chargers at midfield on their next possession. But Hillsdale was able to pin the Eagles deep in their own end on the punt and on their next drive, throwing out of the end zone to avoid a safety, Ashland quarterback Austin Brenner was picked off by Hillsdale cornerback Jackson Gillock, who ran it in from 17 yards out for a back-breaking pick-six score that restored Hillsdale's two-possession advantage.
Running out of time, Ashland drove to the Hillsdale 15 with 10 minutes to play in the game, looking to cut Hillsdale's lead back down to two points, but Chargers linebacker Kyle Kudla was able to force a fumble and Riley Tolsma recovered to end the threat. On the ensuing drive, Hillsdale put Ashland down for good, taking 5:55 off the clock in an 11 play, 86 yard drive and finishing off the game with a seven-yard touchdown run by Michael Herzog, his second of the day.
Against the best team it's played all year, Hillsdale had one of its cleanest offensive performances of the season. Keller was near-perfect at quarterback, going 16 of 20 for 218 yards and the passing touchdown, while adding a rushing touchdown on the ground. Even Keller's incompletions were productive -- nearly every one was an intentional throwaway under pressure to save yardage and keep the Charger offense out of negative situations.
Against the G-MAC's best run defense, Herzog ground out 80 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, good for 4.7 yards a pop, and was critical to Hillsdale putting the game away in the fourth quarter.
While TeSlaa didn't find the end zone, he did everything else for Hillsdale in a six catch, 111 yard performance that included multiple spectacular grabs. The sophomore became just the sixth player in program history to go over 1,000 receiving yards for a season, and his 1,026 yards are the ninth most in a single season in Chargers history with two games to play. Hillsdale's tight ends also played a big role, as Williams had the touchdown catch and Harding had five catches for 52 yards as well.
Defensively, Gillock led the Chargers with eight tackles and the pick-six, as well as two pass breakups. Julius Graber added eight tackles and Matt Soderdahl seven for the Chargers, while Kendall Tobin chipped in a sack and Brant Carter and Trevor DeGroote combined on another for Hillsdale.
The Chargers are now 5-4 with the upset victory, 4-3 in G-MAC play and head into their final home game next Saturday against Michigan Tech at 1 PM with a chance to secure the program's seventh straight .500 or better season with a victory. It will also be Senior Day for Hillsdale, and the Chargers will honor their 12 seniors before the contest.
Photo by McKenna Eichholz