The Hillsdale College football team came up a point short in a heartbreaking loss to visiting Walsh, as the Cavaliers scored the game-winning two-point conversion in overtime to seal a 36-35 victory.

Hillsdale led by 11 points at halftime and by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter, but two late touchdowns by Walsh and a two-point conversion allowed the Cavaliers to tie up the game. The Chargers set up a potential go-ahead 20-yard field goal with five seconds to play but couldn't convert, and despite Hillsdale scoring first in overtime, the Cavaliers were able to answer and then convert the point-after attempt for the victory.

The Chargers had easily their best game of the season offensively, piling up 506 yards, with great balance between run and pass. Hillsdale established itself offensively on their first drive of the game, marching 77 yards on 12 plays, eight rushing and four passing, and culminating in a seven-yard touchdown run by Logan VanEnkevort that gave the Chargers their first first-quarter lead of the 2024 season.

After Walsh answered early in the second quarter, Hillsdale responded with two scores, first retaking the lead on a drive that included a 43-yard pass play from quarterback Colin McKernan to Shea Ruddy and finished with a 19-yard touchdown run by Zach Tetler. The Cavaliers got a field goal on the ensuing drive to make it 14-10, but McKernan found Ruddy again on another bomb, this time a connection for a 55-yard touchdown pass that put Hillsdale up 21-10 with 8:13 to play.

Hillsdale got the ball back right before halftime after a missed Walsh field goal with a chance to blow the game wide open, driving 66 yards to the Walsh 4 with a chance to go into halftime up three scores. Hillsdale couldn't convert, however, on 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1 to keep the drive going, a missed opportunity that would come back to haunt the Chargers later.

Walsh opened the third quarter with another field goal to cut the deficit to 21-13. On the ensuing kickoff, however, Ruddy electrified the homecoming crowd and showed why he's one of the most dangerous players in the G-MAC with the ball in his hands, returning the kickoff 95 yards for his second kickoff return touchdown of the season and his second of the game. The score gave Hillsdale a 28-13 lead and what looked like complete control of the contest.

That control proved illusory, however. Hillsdale was unable to add to its lead despite a red zone trip early in the fourth quarter, and Walsh hit a big play in the passing game to cut Hillsdale's lead to 28-20 with 5:14 to play. A costly fumble on the first play of Hillsdale's ensuing drive was recovered by the Cavaliers, setting Walsh up deep in Hillsdale territory, and two minutes later the Cavaliers tied the game at 28 with 3:06 to play on an eight yard touchdown run and two-point conversion.

Now tied, Hillsdale put together an excellent drive to try and win the game, going 65 yards in two minutes and 55 seconds to set up a short field goal to secure the win. The field goal, however, went just wide left, and the contest went to overtime tied at 28-all.

In overtime, Hillsdale took just two plays to go back in front, taking a 35-28 lead on a 15 yard touchdown run by VanEnkevort. But the Chargers defense couldn't get the final stop it needed, surrendering a first down on 4th and 16, and giving up both the touchdown and game-winning two point conversion on the next two plays.

Hillsdale outgained and outpossessed the Cavaliers, but three empty possessions in the red zone and the fumble proved to be too much to overcome. 

McKernan was 11 for 21 for 228 yards and a touchdown, and also added 38 yards on 12 carries in one of the most prolific performances of his young career at Hillsdale. He connected four times with Ruddy for 137 yards and a touchdown, and three times with Connor Pratt for 33 yards.

Ruddy, meanwhile, continues to put up yardage totals unmatched in NCAA DII football. Along with 137 yards receiving, the sophomore also had 41 yards on three carries on the ground and added 108 yards on returns to finish with 286 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on the night. 

VanEnkevort became Hillsdale's first 100-yard rusher on the season with 100 yards exactly and two touchdowns on 15 carries, helping lead a Hillsdale rushing attack that put up 278 yards on 5.6 yards per carry on the night. Zach Tetler added 79 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown as well.

On defense, Hunter Sperling had a big game for the Chargers with six tackles, 2.5 for loss, and one and a half sacks. Jack Trachet had eight tackles, 1.5 for loss, and Gavin Chenevey and Jacob Vance each chipped in seven. Nolan Strake added a forced fumble as well for Hillsdale.

The Chargers fall to 1-5 on the season, 1-3 in the G-MAC and now must hit the road for two weeks. Hillsdale next travels to Painesville, Ohio to face a Lake Erie team that's coming off their first conference win over Kentucky Wesleyan on the road this past weekend.

Photo by Elaine Kutas