Schedule
Hillsdale College (0-4, 0-2 G-MAC) at Northwood (3-1, 1-1 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 5 | Hantz Stadium | Midland, MI
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Northwood Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Northwood Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
 
Last Week

For the second straight week, Hillsdale outscored its opponent in the second half, rallying from a 14-0 halftime deficit and entering the final two minutes of play with the ball and a chance to tie the game. The Chargers were unable to punch it in, falling 28-21 to undefeated and nationally-ranked Findlay on the road. Sophomore Shea Ruddy had a monster game, with a 93-yard kickoff return touchdown and two receiving touchdowns to help give the Chargers a shot, while quarterback Colin McKernan had 165 yards and two passing scores in a half of play as well. Jacob Vance led the Hillsdale defense with two sacks and seven tackles, while Will Whims and Jack Trachet each recorded an interception as well.
 
Scouting the Opposition

After a 5-6 season in the first year under coach Dustin Beurer in 2023, Northwood seems to be taking flight this season, with an encouraging 3-1 start that has the Timberwolves dreaming of their first winning campaign since 2017 and just their second in the last decade.

The improvement of the Timberwolves' offense is a big factor in Northwood's rise so far this year. In his second season, quarterback Jacob Barlage has played like one of the top quarterbacks in the league so far, with a 66% completion percentage, over 900 yards and eight passing touchdowns in four starts. Veteran receiver Brendan Teal and true freshman Braylon Gardner are Barlage's favorite targets, each with three touchdown receptions, as well as redshirt senior Mark Tocco.

Northwood has done more through the air than on the ground so far, but does have a solid tailback to work with in Lake Erie transfer Devin Brown, who has three rushing scores so far. Sophomores Trent Hill and Brandon Martin spell Brown. The group runs behind a retooled offensive line led by returning starters Mitch Umlor and Riley Smolarz.

The Timberwolves have also taken a step forward in their run defense, headlined by returning All-G-MAC honoree Mbaimba Tunkara at linebacker. The senior is a playmaker who leads Northwood in tackles for loss but gets plenty of support from defensive end Brock Cook as a pass rusher, as well as linemen Jaden Green and Duwayne Leggette.

The secondary has been a sore spot in an otherwise bright picture so far for Northwood, as the Timberwolves are conceding a league-worst 254.5 passing yards per game entering the weekend. Safeties Stevie Douglas and Cole Simpson are among the team's leading tacklers. Part of the problem for the Timberwolves so far has been a lack of forced turnovers by its back seven, with only two interceptions in four games so far, a number Northwood will be hungry to add to this weekend.

Northwood has had a strong special teams unit so far. Kicker Max Gonos is 4 for 5 on field goals with an impressive long of 47, while punter Gavin Myers is averaging 45 yards per punt with a long of 64. Brandon Martin and Carter Minnix split return duties between the two of them.
 
The Series

The Chargers are 35-17 all-time against Northwood and have dominated the series for the last decade, with nine straight wins over the Timberwolves starting in 2010, and including a 40-18 win at home last season. While Hillsdale hasn't lost to Northwood since a 38-37 defeat in 2009, they have had a few close calls during their win streak, including an overtime game in 2019 and a 14-10 contest in 2011.
 
Other Notes

• This football meeting between Hillsdale and Northwood will be the first since the return of "The Jack", the traveling all-sports trophy between the Chargers and Timberwolves. Inaugurated in 1996 to honor legendary ADs Jack Finn of Northwood and Jack McAvoy of Hillsdale, the trophy was awarded for 20 years before Hillsdale's departure from the GLIAC in 2017-18 left the two teams in different conferences. With both programs back in the G-MAC, the traveling trophy will return for the 2024-25 season, with results in head-to-head matches and conference finishes factoring into the point total for both teams and the program with the most points at the end of the year receiving the trophy and bragging rights until the subsequent season. Thanks to a volleyball win over the Timberwolves last weekend, Hillsdale has a 1-0 lead and will look to add to that advantage this weekend.
• New head coach Nate Shreffler may be in his first season as the man in charge, but the veteran coach is no stranger to the sport and to Hillsdale. Shreffler is entering his 26^th season as a coach for the Chargers after successful stints as the team's offensive line coach (1999-2009) and offensive coordinator (2010-2023). Hillsdale's all-time leading passer, rusher and receiver all played in offenses led by Shreffler, and he was the position coach of Hillsdale's most recent NFL draft pick, Jared Veldheer. A 1993 graduate of Hillsdale College, Shreffler was a three-year starter on the offensive line and an important part of the team's 1992 conference title.
• 2024 marks the second season in a row that Hillsdale has started 0-4. While there's a sense of urgency to try and turn things around, the Chargers have been here before and come out well on the other side, going 6-1 after an 0-4 start in 2023 to finish with a winning record. This weekend looms large, as a 40-18 victory over Northwood last year helped spark the team's 2023 turnaround.
• The biggest strength on paper for the Chargers is a veteran offensive line, and especially an interior trio who are all entering their third year together as starters. Senior center Nick Affholter, a two-time All-G-MAC player and two-time Hillsdale lineman of the year anchors the unit. He's flanked on the left by guard Eli Haidamous, another All-G-MAC honoree, and on the right by his twin brother, Ben Affholter, who might have been an All-Conference player as well in 2023 if he hadn't missed time while recovering from an injury. Along with that gifted trio, Hillsdale also returns right tackle Carter Cushman as a second-year starter.
• Sophomore wide receiver Shea Ruddy is off to a sensational start in 2024, currently leading the entirety of NCAA DII in All-Purpose yards through four games. A multi-dimensional weapon, Ruddy was named G-MAC Special Teams Player of the Week after a three-touchdown performance in Hillsdale's Sept. 28 loss at Findlay that saw him catch two touchdown passes of 30-plus yards, score on a 93-yard kickoff return and put up 343 yards from scrimmage while finishing as the Chargers' leading rusher and receiver. Continuing to find ways to get the ball in his hands will be a priority for Hillsdale in the back half of the season.  
• Hillsdale's leading tackler in 2023 and Linebacker of the Year Jacob Vance returns for his sophomore season in 2024, after a meteoric rise the year before. As a redshirt freshman, Vance didn't dress for the first two games of the season, and didn't crack the lineup until a week four contest against Findlay. Despite the late start, Vance quickly established himself as one of the Chargers' most reliable defensive players and contributed greatly to Hillsdale's season-ending winning streak. Already in 2024 he leads the team in tackles with 33 and tackles for loss with seven, while also putting up two sacks as well.
• Sophomore Drake Badger has helped boost Hillsdale's pass rush as a disruptive presence on the line for the Chargers. Badger has 2.5 sacks in four games this season, and also has broken up three passes and forced a fumble, along with 3.5 tackles for loss. The end will look to step up his game even further to help the Chargers get back on track for the home stretch of the season.
• Hillsdale's two permanent captains this season are senior wide receiver Logan VanEnkevort and junior defensive end Landon VanBeek. VanEnkevort was Hillsdale's Special Teams Player of the Year in 2023 and is one of Hillsdale's most versatile players, having played as many as six different positions for the Chargers over the past two seasons. His success on and off the playing field has earned him several accolades, including semifinalist recognition for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Award, the sport's academic Heisman Trophy. VanBeek, meanwhile, has been a critical part of Hillsdale's defensive line for multiple seasons and is making the move to end this fall after excelling on the interior for Hillsdale in 2023.
• The Charger football program continued to shine academically this past season, with eight players earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, including returners Benjamin Affholter, Bart Bixler and Ty Williams. In addition, 48 Hillsdale football players received Academic All-G-MAC honors for posting a 3.3 or better cumulative GPA through the spring 2023 semester.
• The Charger football program has long been known for its strong family tradition, and that continues in 2024 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 -- sophomore wide receiver Corban Creason (Coppell, TX/Founders Classical Academy) and freshman defensive back Christian Creason; junior offensive lineman John VanOpstall (Jenison, MI/Jenison) and younger brother Chris VanOpstall, and sophomore wide receiver Shea Ruddy (Temperance, MI/Ottawa Lake Whiteford) and freshman defensive back Ryin Ruddy. Along with those sibling pairs, several other players on the roster have older brothers, fathers or grandfathers who suited up for previous Charger teams.