All season long, senior tailback Michael Herzog has been making the case with his play that he's one of the best running backs in the nation.
In his final game with the Hillsdale College football team on Saturday, Herzog put together his masterpiece in a 35-17 win over Ohio Dominican.
Herzog set multiple records with his performance against what had been the G-MAC's second-best rush defense entering this weekend, rushing for a career-high 175 yards and all five of Hillsdale's touchdowns in the contest. Those scores gave him 21 for the season, breaking the old Great Midwest Athletic Conference record of 19 set by Daouda Sylla of Findlay in 2017, and with five rushing touchdowns, Herzog also broke the G-MAC single-game rushing touchdown record, and tied Hillsdale's all-time record for single game rushing touchdowns, matching Gordon Piatt in 1939, Hillsdale Hall of Famer Nate Clark in 1955, and Willis Miles in 1982.
The senior from Windsor, Ontario led a Chargers offense that ripped through what had been one of the top defenses in the Midwest entering Saturday's game. Hillsdale piled up 435 total yards of offense, the most given up by the Panthers against any team in 2023, including 242 yards on the ground against a team that was giving up just 88.3 yards per game on average.
Hillsdale set the tone early, forcing a three and out on the opening drive of the game and taking just four plays to go 48 yards on the ensuing possession, with Herzog scoring from 36 yards out to give Hillsdale a 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.
After two stalled drives by the Chargers, ODU answered back in the second quarter with an eight-play drive to tie the game at 7-all, then threatened to take the lead before halftime after Hillsdale fumbled the ball back to the Panthers at midfield on the next possession.
But Hillsdale's defense held, forcing an ODU field goal try that was blocked by Riley Tolsma, and with just 1:18 on the clock, the Chargers went 80 yards in under a minute, with quarterback Garrit Aissen finding Josh Lee for 25 yards and his twin brother Sam Lee for a 45-yard completion to set Hillsdale up at the ODU 2. Herzog punched it in on the next play to give Hillsdale a 14-7 lead at the half.
ODU got a strip-sack to start the second half to set themselves up at the Hillsdale 5 yard line, but Hillsdale's D held once again to hold the Panthers to a field goal, and from there, Hillsdale seized control. The Chargers scored touchdowns on each of their next three drives, as Herzog scored on a 30-yard run and two touchdowns from one yard out to turn a competitive 14-10 game into a 35-10 edge early in the fourth quarter. ODU was able to get a score with eight seconds to go in the game, but far too late to attempt any kind of comeback.
Along with Herzog's stellar performance, Hillsdale also got a great final game from senior quarterback Garrit Aissen, who was 7 for 11 for 179 yards and connected on a 79-yard pass with Sam Lee to set up one of Herzog's second-half scores. Sam Lee finished with five catches for 151 yards on a career-best performance for the sophomore as well.
While Herzog will get the headlines, Hillsdale's defense also played a big role in the win with a number of timely stands and big plays. Riley Tolsma had a big sack and tied for the Chargers' lead in tackles with eight, while Vince Francescone added eight tackles as well and Nolan Strake chipped in six tackles and had two pass breakups on potential ODU touchdowns.
In their final games as Chargers, senior Julian Lee was a perfect 5 for 5 on extra points and fellow senior Ethan Lamoreaux averaged 42.3 yards on three punts.
Hillsdale finishes 6-5 overall with the victory, and 6-3 in the G-MAC. After an 0-4 start that included three tough road losses, the Chargers went 6-1 down the stretch and won their last five games in an impressive finish that showcased Hillsdale's resilience as a program. The Chargers will lose 23 seniors, including several key players, but will look to reload and try to compete in the G-MAC once again in 2024.
Photo by Reva Ludwig