With each passing week, the Hillsdale College football team's defense keeps getting better.
That's a scary proposition for the rest of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
Hillsdale rolled past visiting Walsh 20-3 on Saturday for the Chargers' third-straight victory, behind a dominant defensive effort and another big special teams play.
The Hillsdale defense gave Walsh problems all game, harrassing the Cavaliers into five turnovers. While the Chargers finished with just two sacks on the game, one each by Kyle Kudla and Max Torbert, the pressure generated by Hillsdale's front seven on Walsh quarterback Tom Vatter was real, as Hillsdale finished with 12 quarterback hurries and laid big hits on Vatter multiple times.
That pressure led to errant throws and the Charger secondary took advantage, picking off Vatter four times. Three of those interceptions went to redshirt freshman quarterback Jackson Gillock, who twice picked off Vatter in the end zone in the fourth quarter when the Cavaliers were threatening to score and close the gap. Gillock's three interceptions are the most by a Charger in a single game since Drake Temple picked off three passes against Tiffin on Nov. 9, 2019, and he now has a team high five picks on the year. Joe Schneider also picked off a pass for the Chargers, and Nate Chambers recovered a fumble off a strip-sack by Torbert.
Hillsdale also got a big play on special teams. Two weeks after Bart Bixler blocked a punt to set up the game-winning touchdown against Misouri S&T, Bixler was again involved in a big Charger block. With Hillsdale clinging to a 7-3 lead in the third quarter, the Hillsdale defense forced a punt and Nick Goerss blocked Trey Crockett's attempt, sending the ball careening to Bixler who ran it in from eight yards out for his first career touchdown to put the Chargers up 10.
The Charger offense was as opportunistic as the Charger defense was dominiant. Walsh outgained Hillsdale 387 to 227 and had 24 first downs to Hillsdale's 14, but the Chargers offense scored two huge touchdowns seize control of the game.
After Walsh took a 3-0 lead on the game's opening drive, both teams struggled to move the ball. Hillsdale got its chance late in the half after a Gillock interception and a penalty gave the Chargers the ball at the eight. On fourth and goal, sophomore quarterback Garrit Aissen found true freshman tight end Evan Shafer on a crossing route for Shafer's first career touchdown, giving Hillsdale a 7-3 lead with just 48 seconds left in the half.
Then, with a 13-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter, the Chargers put the game away with a 13 play, 80 yard drive that took 5:58 off the clock. Aissen capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run that put the Chargers up 17 with 3:53 to play and all but ended the contest.
Aissen was 9 of 16 for 93 yards, a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in his second career start. Redshirt freshman Austen Williams led the Chargers in receiving with three catches for 47 yards, and redshirt freshman Logan VanEnkevort chipped in 51 yards on eight carries to lead the Chargers on the ground.
Senior Alex Anschutz led the Charger defense with 11 tackles and three pass break ups, and Zach Herzog and John Pearson each chipped in nine tackles as well.
Jack Shannon had another excellent special teams day as Hillsdale's punter, averaging 44 yards per punt with a long of 57 and pinning Walsh inside the 20 on five of his six punts.
The Chargers are now 3-3 overall, and in a three-way tie for first place in the G-MAC at 2-0. Hillsdale next hosts Lake Erie at 1 p.m. next Saturday looking to remain unbeaten in G-MAC play.
Photo by Anthony Lupi '22
