The Hillsdale College football team scored 17 straight second half points but couldn't overcome a large first half deficit in a 28-17 road loss to Ashland on Saturday.
Trailing 25-0 to the home Eagles in the third quarter and having mustered under 100 yards of offense in the game to that point, Hillsdale finally found its rhythm on an 11 play, 90 yard drive where the Chargers found the run-pass balance they'd been searching for all game. Redshirt freshman tailback Logan VanEnkenvort capped the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run to give Hillsdale its first signs of life in the contest.
The Charger defense built off that score with a big interception on Ashland's next drive, as junior cornerback Mason Dooley picked off a pass by the Eagles' Trent Maddox at the Hillsdale 12 to end an Ashland scoring threat that could have put the game out of reach.
Hillsdale took advantage of the turnover, going 62 yards on 14 plays and setting up a career-long 43 yard field goal from redshirt freshman Julian Lee that cut Ashland's lead to two scores early in the fourth quarter.
After the Charger defense forced a three-and-out on Ashland's next possession, Hillsdale went on another critical drive, going 89 yards in 14 plays. Sophomore quarterback Garrit Aissen found senior wide receiver Alec Foos on a nine-yard slant pass to cut Ashland's lead to 25:17 with 4:58 to play and give the Chargers a chance to potentially tie the game and force overtime if they could get the ball back.
Ashland, however, refused to be stopped, burning four minutes and 38 seconds off the clock on a 10 play, 65 yard drive and hitting a field goal that put the game out of reach with 20 seconds to play. An Eagle strip-sack on the first play of Hillsdale's next possession ensured there would be no miracle end for the Chargers, who simply ran out of time to dig their way back from the 22-point hole that Ashland put Hillsdale in with a dominant first half performance.
VanEnkevort led the Chargers on the ground with 65 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, as Hillsdale once again showed plenty of fight to get back in the game after trailing by multiple scores at the half for the fourth time this season. Aissen went 21 of 41 through the air for 183 yards and the passing touchdown, and Foos finished with 47 yards and the receiving TD on five catches, while redshirt freshman Austen Williams caught six passes for 70 yards to lead the Chargers in both categories.
Junior defensive end Kendall Tobin finished with two sacks to lead a Charger defense that held Ashland to just six second half points and gave Hillsdale a chance at a comeback after struggling in the first half. Junior safety Zach Herzog led the Chargers with 13 tackles, junior linebacker Kyle Kudla chipped in 10 and senior safety Alex Anschutz added nine.
Lee hit both of his extra-point attempts for the Chargers as well as making that career-long field goal, and senior punter Jack Shannon had a big day, averaging 47.7 yards on seven punts with a long of 59, four punts inside the 20 and four 50-plus yard punts.
Hillsdale struggled to stop the run in the contest, giving up 289 yards on the ground to the Eagles, though the Chargers did have a 186 to 154 edge in passing yards on the day.
The Chargers (4-5, 3-2 G-MAC) finish the 2021 season with two games at home, starting with a contest against visiting Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m. That game is also Hillsdale's Military Appreciation Day, where the Chargers honor all those who serve or have served the country as members of the armed forces.
Photo by Anthony Lupi '22