A disappointing loss last weekend blunted some of the momentum the Hillsdale College football team had built up over a three-game winning streak.
But there's still plenty for the Chargers to play for in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, and a huge opportunity in front of Hillsdale this weekend as it travels to take on current G-MAC leader Findlay in a critical contest.
If Hillsdale can find a way to pull an upset of the heavily-favored Oilers, they would move right back into a tie for first place in the G-MAC -- though it will be a difficult challenge on the road against one of the best offensive teams in the conference.
More information on this weekend's contest is below, including links to live stats, the online broadcast, and tickets.
Schedule
Hillsdale College (3-4, 2-1 G-MAC) at Findlay (5-2, 3-0 G-MAC) | 12 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 23 | James C. Donnell Stadium | Findlay, OH
Follow/Watch
Live Stats | Webcast | Tickets
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Findlay Roster | 2021 Hillsdale Stats | 2021 Findlay Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings | Game Notes
Last Game
The Chargers saw a three-game winning streak come to an end in a difficult afternoon against Lake Erie on Saturday at home. Hillsdale took a 14-6 lead in the first quarter but couldn't hold off the Storm, who scored 27 unanswered points in a 33-14 victory. Logan VanEnkevort had a 41-yard touchdown run to lead the Charger offense. Despite struggles both offensively and defensively, the Charger special teams continued to excel – Josh Peroni had an 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and Mason Dooley and Alex Anschutz each blocked a kick that the Chargers recovered.
Scouting the Opposition
The lone remaining undefeated team in conference play, Findlay controls its own destiny in the race for the G-MAC title after a 21-14 win over previously unbeaten Ohio Dominican in overtime last weekend.
The Oilers have used an excellent offense to overcome defensive shortcomings all season long, particularly on the ground, where tailback Derek Lynch leads the G-MAC in rushing yards, Josh Booker leads the G-MAC in rushing touchdowns, and Garret Clark has also made an impact.
While the run game has been the overwhelming strength of Findlay's offense, the passing attack, directed by experienced senior quarterback Matt Winzeler, has done its job as well. Winzeler has a 58.3 completion percentage with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions to date for the Oilers, with Ruben Flowers and Marlin Richardson combining for over 600 yards and four touchdowns as Findlay's leading receivers.
The Oiler offense is led by an excellent offensive line that's conceded just six sacks to date in seven games. All-G-MAC honorees Logan Bailey, Michael Jerrell and Ben Farrar lead the unit.
Defensively, Findlay is sixth out of eight teams in scoring defense and eighth in total defense in the G-MAC, though those numbers are skewed by early struggles against a tough schedule. The Oilers rely heavily on big plays from star defensive end Ervin Besingi, who has 5.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss, as well as Grey Brancifort in the linebacking corps.
An Oiler secondary that was torched early has been steadily improving in recent weeks, led by significant improvements from cover corner Jeremiah Jackson.
Austin Snyder handles both the kicking and punting duties for the Oilers, going 3 for 4 on field goals so far, and averaging 39.4 yards per punt.
Findlay is coached by Rob Keys, who is in his 11th season at the helm of the Oilers with a 72-41 record. During his tenure, Keys guided the Oilers to their first NCAA Division II playoff appearance in school history in 2017.
The Series
The Oilers are one of the oldest foes still consistently on Hillsdale's schedule, with meetings all the way back to 1963, when Hillsdale triumphed over Findlay 21-6. The Chargers lead the series 17-13-1, but Findlay has won six of the last seven, including a 45-24 victory on March 14, 2021. Hillsdale's most recent victory came on Oct. 16, 2018, when Hillsdale won 20-17 at Findlay on the way to the 2018 G-MAC Championship.
Other Notes
- Hillsdale returns 18 starters from the Spring 2021 season, as well as its kicker and punter, giving the team an exciting amount of experience to draw on. All three of Hillsdale's first team All-G-MAC honorees are back – offensive lineman Cole Johnson, defensive tackle Nate Chambers, and safety Zach Herzog – as well as 10 of the Chargers' 11 All-Conference players overall.
- Junior cornerback Josh Peroni became the first Charger in over eight years to return a kickoff for a touchdown, taking one 89 yards to the house against Lake Erie on Saturday. The last Charger to return a kick for a touchdown was Todd Frickey, who had a 91-yard scoring return against Malone on Sept. 21, 2013. Peroni leads the G-MAC in kick return average with 26.2 yards, and is the only G-MAC player to return a kickoff for a touchdown to date this season.
- The Charger secondary has been turning other teams over all season long, with a G-MAC best 12 interceptions, good for third in all of NCAA Division II in that stat. Along with six fumble recoveries, Hillsdale's defense has 18 total takeaways this year, tied for 10th in the nation. Redshirt freshman Jackson Gillock is tied for second in the nation with five interceptions, and senior Joe Schneider is tied for 11th with four.
- Senior defensive tackle Nate Chambers is having a beastly season in his final go-around with Hillsdale this season. Chambers had 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in his first three seasons combined entering the year, but in seven games he's added six more sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss to those totals, both marks that lead the G-MAC and place him inside the top 50 nationally in Division II in both stats.
- A standout for the previous three seasons for the Chargers, Alex Anschutz is making his final season his best yet. Hillsdale's STAR, a linebacker/safety hybrid position, is second in the G-MAC in tackles (75), and is fifth in all of Division II in the stat. Anschutz is not the only Charger defender standing out – Zach Herzog, his teammate, is seventh in the G-MAC with 53 total tackles.
- The Charger football program brought home an impressive and historic award haul this summer. For the first time in program history, Hillsdale had three players earn CoSIDA Academic All-American honors – Johnson, senior safety Alex Anschutz and senior wide receiver Konnor Maloney, becoming just the sixth, seventh and eighth players in program history to receive the prestigious honor. All three return this fall. Additionally, 2021 graduate Joey Brenner was named the program's first G-MAC Scholar Athlete of the Year as well, and 79 of Hillsdale's 103 players posted a 3.0 or better GPA for the 2020-21 school year.
- The Charger football program has long been known for its strong family tradition, and that continues in 2021 with two sets of brothers in the starting lineup. Senior cornerback Matt Harding and sophomore tight end Michael Harding (Livonia, MI/Detroit Catholic Central) will start on opposite sides of the ball, following in the footsteps of older brother Steve Harding, who graduated from Hillsdale in 2014. On the offensive line, twin brothers Nick and Ben Affholter (Quincy, MI/Reading) will hold down the two guard spots. Both are the sons of Brad Affholter, a multi-year starter on the Charger offensive line in the mid-90s. There are two more sets of brothers on the team – Zach Herzog and his brother, Mike, a tailback, and Konnor Maloney and his brother Jacob, a defensive back. Additionally, H-back Calvin McNellie is joined by his brother, Carson, a student manager for the team in 2021.
- With 119 wins to date, Otterbein is third all-time in career coaching victories at Hillsdale, trailing two Charger Athletics Hall of Famers in Frank "Muddy" Waters (138) and Dick Lowry (134). If he maintains his current career pace of wins per season, Otterbein would pass Waters for the all-time record in the fall of 2024.