Schedule
Hillsdale College (1-4, 1-2 G-MAC) at Tiffin (5-0, 3-0 G-MAC) | 12 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 7 | Frost-Kalnow Stadium | Tiffin, Ohio
Follow/Watch
Live Stats | Webcast | Tickets
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Tiffin Roster | 2023 Hillsdale Stats | 2023 Tiffin Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
Last Week
After four weeks of frustration, the Hillsdale College football team put a complete game together against visiting Northwood in a 40-18 victory, the Chargers' first of 2023. Three different players rushed for touchdowns as Hillsdale put up 262 yards on the ground, led by Mike Herzog's third 100-yard rushing game of the season, while quarterback Jake Burger, making his first start on 2023, threw for 107 yards and a passing touchdown to tight end Josh Lee, and Shea Ruddy caught a touchdown pass as well for the Chargers from Gordie LaFontaine. The defense, led by two sacks and a forced safety from junior captain Riley Tolsma, forced Northwood into three turnovers, allowing Hillsdale to run away with the game in the second half.
Scouting the Opposition
While there's still a lot of season left in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, there's no doubt who the favorite is to win the title in 2023. Tiffin has earned that right with a dominant first five weeks of the season.
The Dragons boast far and away the league's best offense, averaging 51.4 points and 527 yards per game, and pair it with arguably the best defense as well, giving up just 17.4 points, best in the G-MAC, and 271.6 yards, second among conference teams.
Tiffin's offense is paced by one of the nation's best rushing attacks, as breakout sophomore star Ronald Blackman and returning senior Devin Nelson have combined for 977 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground through five contests. The Dragons have enviable depth at the position as both Carson Gresock and Tyrese Banks-Dorn have made strong impressions as well.
For the second straight season, the Dragons hit the transfer portal to find a starting quarterback and have come up a winner again with Eastern New Mexico grad Kason Martin, who is completing 64% of his passes for 1,223 yards and 14 touchdowns so far. Martin has plenty of speedy options on the outside led by senior receivers Josh Lewis and Jalen Thomas, who have combined for nine receiving touchdowns so far.
Impressively, the Dragons are having this offensive success behind a retooled offensive line that returns just one starter, center Shane Bumgardner, from 2022. First-year players Gavin Robbins and CJ Dawson have gotten their careers off to impressive starts for the Dragons.
Defensively, Tiffin is led by an experienced secondary that returns three starters, including 2022 All-G-MAC cornerback Caleb Streat. Up front, the Dragons have gotten great pressure in the interior from defensive tackle Robert Holtz, who leads Tiffin with 4.5 sacks on the year, while rush end Jesse Connell leads the team in tackles with 26, five for loss. Experienced linebacker Barry Brown and Kentucky Wesleyan grad transfer and safety Ramond Jackson also have made big impacts for the Dragons.
On special teams, kicker Grant Woodfin is 5 for 7 on field goals for Tiffin, though with a long of just 26, while punter Matt Martin averages 36.9 yards per punt with a long of 52.
Tiffin is coached by Cris Reisert, now in his fifth season leading the Dragons, with a career record of 34-10. Under Reisert, the Dragons have won two G-MAC titles and made the 2019 NCAA DII Playoffs, their only DII playoff berth in program history. Reisert came to Tiffin after two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Ohio Dominican, with prior stops at Elon University and Ball State University. Reisert was a collegiate quarterback at Ohio Dominican, setting 10 NAIA passing records and earning the 2007 NAIA Player of the Year award.
The Series
Tiffin's 41-0 victory in Hillsdale last season on Oct. 8 closed the gap between the Dragons and Chargers in the all-time series between the two teams, with Hillsdale holding on to a 9-7 edge. It's historically been a hard-fought, competitive matchup dating back to both teams' GLIAC days. Tiffin has a 5-3 edge in the last decade, but Hillsdale has won as recently as 2021, when the Chargers knocked off the Dragons in Tiffin in a thrilling 24-21 contest.
Other Notes
- Senior tailback Michael Herzog is off to a great start in 2023, with three 100 yard games on the ground in five contests, and a rushing touchdown in all five games. Herzog had a breakout season last year, putting up 940 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground and earning first team All-G-MAC honors. Now, he's aiming to be the first Chargers running back to go over 1,000 yards in a season since All-American David Graham in 2019, and his 482 yards through four games ranks second in G-MAC play, while his six rushing touchdowns are tied for the G-MAC lead. The dynamic back gets plenty of help up front, running behind an experienced offensive line that returns all five starters from last season's squad, led by All-G-MAC center Nick Affholter.
- Senior tight end Michael Harding earned a prestigious honor by being named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy last week. Harding, a three-time All-G-MAC tight end, was nominated for the award, considered by many to be the academic equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, both for his outstanding play on the football field and his impressive achievements in the classroom. Finalists for the award will be announced on Oct. 25. Hillsdale's last Campbell Award finalist was quarterback Mark Nicolet in 2008.
- When junior Riley Tolsma tackled Northwood quarterback Jake Kelbert in the end zone after a botched snap by the Timberwolves, he did something no Chargers defender had done in 17 years -- record a safety. Prior to Tolsma's tackle that gave Hillsdale a 26-10 lead over Northwood, Hillsdale's last safety came on Sept. 23, 2006 against Ferris State. Those two points turned out to be absolutely crucial in a 29-27 Chargers win over the Bulldogs. While Tolsma's safety didn't have quite the same importance, it was part of a great day for the junior defensive end -- 11 tackles, three for loss and two sacks. Tolsma led the Chargers last season with 7.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, and was named a team captain this offseason.
- The Chargers have a recent tradition of star receivers, including Trey Brock, K.J. Maloney and Isaac TeSlaa, and redshirt freshman Sam Lee looks like the next in line after a strong start. Lee's 6-foot-6 frame and athleticism make him a tough matchup for opposing defenders, and his 312 yards rank sixth in the G-MAC among all receivers so far. A star at Toledo Central Catholic in high school, Lee signed with the Chargers last season along with his twin brother, Josh, who also sees the field for Hillsdale at tight end and scored his first receiving touchdown last week against Northwood.
- Along with Lee, another young receiver is standing out in his first season at Hillsdale. Shea Ruddy impressed on Saturday with 114 yards on five catches, including a 40-yard touchdown reception that included multiple broken tackles on the way to the end zone. Ruddy's 114-yard game was Hillsdale's first 100-plus yard receiving game by a true freshman since Trey Brock in 2015. He added two more touchdowns – on a 65-yard run and a 21-yard reception – in Hillsdale's win over Northwood last week.
- 2018 graduate Zach VanValkenburg made his NFL debut with the Los Angeles Rams as a linebacker on Sept. 10, seeing the field in the Rams' 30-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks. VanValkenburg was the G-MAC Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2018 while leading the Chargers in sacks and helping Hillsdale win a 2018 G-MAC title and make the NCAA DII Playoffs. After graduating from Hillsdale, VanValkenburg went on to play two seasons at the University of Iowa while getting his masters degree. He was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 but did not make the final roster. In January, he was signed by LA and made the 53-man roster for the 2023 season in August, becoming the first Charger since Jared Veldheer's retirement in 2021 to appear in an NFL game against the Seahawks.
- The Charger football program has long been known for its strong family tradition, and that continues in 2023 with multiple sets of brothers on the roster. On the offensive line, twin brothers Nick Affholter and Benjamin Affholter (Quincy, MI/Reading) will hold down interior line spots for the third straight season, and are joined on the roster by younger brother Zac Affholter, a true freshman lineman. All three are sons of Brad Affholter, a multi-year starter on the Charger offensive line in the mid-90s and an assistant coach with the team in 2023. There are several other sibling duos on the team – twin brothers Josh Lee and Sam Lee (Toledo, OH/Central Catholic) return as sophomores this season, as do junior tight end Ben Hinrichs and his younger brother, Christian (Escondido, CA/Classical Academy). Also in 2023, Hillsdale sophomore wide receiver Corban Creason (Coppell, TX/Founders Classical Academy) is joined by his younger brother, Christian, and sophomore offensive lineman John VanOpstall (Jenison, MI/Jenison) is joined by his younger brother, Chris. Along with those sibling pairs, several other players on the roster have older brothers, fathers or grandfathers who suited up for previous Charger teams.
- Hillsdale's longest-tenured assistant coach received a prestigious honor in the offseason as Offensive Coordinator Nate Shreffler was named the American Football Coaches Association's NCAA DII Assistant Coach of the Year for 2022. Shreffler is entering his 25th season with the Chargers and was recognized for both his outstanding contributions to Hillsdale's success on the field, and his work running the Chargers' "Guys With Ties" program that helps teach elementary school kids confidence and proper etiquette through interactions with players on the football team.
- With 128 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.