The Hillsdale College football team put up a tough fight on the road against a ranked opponent at #20/21 University of Indianapolis on Saturday night to open the 2023 season, but couldn't keep pace with the Greyhounds' passing attack in the second half in a 39-20 defeat.
The Chargers served notice on the opening drive that they wouldn't be an easy win for UIndy, marching 75 yards in eight plays and scoring the game's first touchdown on a 13 yard run by senior Michael Herzog to put Hillsdale up 7-0 early. On that drive, Hillsdale called seven runs in eight plays and steamrolled the UIndy defense, setting the tone for an impressive first half running the football.
Herzog would add a second rushing touchdown from three yards out to give Hillsdale a 14-12 edge on the scoreboard with 8:32 left in the second quarter, and finished the first half with 135 yards on 14 carries as the Chargers stayed within striking distance of UIndy entering halftime.
The Chargers had a chance to bolster their lead before the half, driving deep into UIndy territory with just over six minutes to play in the second quarter, but a turnover kept Hillsdale from capitalizing on that scoring chance and allowed UIndy to drive into field goal range and retake a 15-14 lead late in the first half.
With a chance to pull a big upset in play entering the second half, the Chargers continued to move the ball well, but couldn't capitalize on opportunities, missing two field goals and committing a second turnover that led directly to a UIndy touchdown in the final two quarters of the game. The Greyhounds took advantage offensively with chunk plays in the passing game, throwing three touchdown passes of 20-plus yards in the second half, including a 78-yard touchdown throw from quarterback Gavin Sukup to Alonzo Derrick with 49 seconds left in the fourth quarter just one play after the Chargers missed a 38-yard field goal try that could have brought Hillsdale within one point of the lead.
Hillsdale answered that score with a 75-yard drive capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Garrit Aissen to sophomore wide receiver Sam Lee that cut UIndy's lead to 25-20 with 11:59 to go in the fourth. But the Chargers couldn't get the stop they needed on the ensuing drive as UIndy scored on a 55-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead back to 32-20.
The Chargers got the ball back with one chance to close the gap and get back in the game, but a costly turnover by Hillsdale set up the Greyhounds with a short field to add a third second-half touchdown and put the game away.
For the game, the Chargers had a strong showing offensively, putting up 410 yards, including 202 on the ground against a UIndy team that led its conference in defensive efficiency in 2022. But in a game where both offenses were putting up fireworks, Hillsdale's two turnovers were too much to overcome on a night where UIndy had a turnover-free outing.
Herzog finished with 154 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, just five shy of a career high, and averaged 8.1 yards per carry on the night in a strong season-opening performance for the 2022 All-G-MAC first teamer, while Logan VaneEnkevort chipped in 37 yards on five carries as well. Aissen was 20 of 32 through the air for 208 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Sam Lee six times for 103 yards and that 21 yard score, and with tight end Mike Harding four times for 46 yards. Lee's 103-yard night marks the first game with 100+ receiving yards of the sophomore's young career, and could be the first of many for a talented player getting his first chance to start.
Defensively, junior linebacker Zach Pardonnet led the Chargers with nine tackles, and sophomore Carson Ingram added six tackles, two for loss. Sophomore defensive tackle Hunter Sperling also chipped in two tackles for loss up front for Hillsdale, and junior safety Sam Zemis added five tackles and a pass breakup.
Hillsdale falls to 0-1 on the year with the loss, and will have to regroup quickly as the Chargers hit the road against next Saturday with a long trip up to the Upper Peninsula to face Michigan Tech in a 1 p.m. contest. That game will be the second of three straight road games to open the season for Hillsdale, who will be battle-tested heading into G-MAC play in two weeks.
Photo by Anthony Lupi