Facing what has been the second-best rushing attack in the G-MAC entering Saturday's contest, the Hillsdale College football team showed who the dominant power was in the trenches in a 41-7 demolition of Kentucky Wesleyan.

The Chargers rushed for a season-high 281 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, going for 8 yards a carry in a dominant performance by both the team's running backs and offensive line, while on the other side of the ball, Hillsdale held the Panthers to just 2.8 yards per carry in a virtuoso showing by the Chargers' front seven,

Hillsdale set the tone early on the second play from scrimmage with a 75-yard touchdown run by Logan VanEnkevort, who took a pitch to the right, broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and outran the defense to the end zone. That gave the Chargers a lead Hillsdale would never relinquish, but it would take the Chargers a little time to build on it.

After a turnover and getting stopped on downs on the following two possessions, Hillsdale got the ball back with 11:04 in the second quarter after a missed 30-yard field goal by the Panthers, and the Chargers strung together an impressive 10-play, 80 yard drive, including nine running plays, that took 6:19 off the clock. Quarterback Colin McKernan finished off the drive himself with a seven-yard touchdown run that gave Hillsdale a 13-0 edge at the half.

Up two scores entering the third quarter, Hillsdale blew the game wide open. After holding KWC to another missed field goal attempt on the opening drive of the half, McKernan found tight end Andrew Konieczny for a 38 yard chunk play to the Panthers 10. That set up a 10-yard rushing score for tailback Zach Tetler that gave the Chargers a 20-0 edge, and on the ensuing Kentucky Wesleyan possession, cornerback Matt Soderdahl picked off his third pass in two games and returned it for another Hillsdale score that all but put the game on ice with a quarter and a half to play.

VanEnkevort would add a second 30 yard rushing touchdown and Tetler would also score again on the ground from nine yards out to seal a 41-7 victory.

Hillsdale completed just five passes for 87 yards but didn't need to go to the air much on a day where the Chargers were getting so much push up front. VanEnkevort led the way with the best rushing day of his five-year career at Hillsdale, finishing with 175 yards and two scores on 12 carries. Tetler added 32 yards and two scores on 11 carries, while Tutt Carrico finished with 34 yards on two attempts.

Cos Davis picked off a pass along with Soderdahl as well for Hillsdale defensively, while Neal Likens, Zach Tokie and Drake Badger each added a sack. Vince Francescone led Hillsdale with six tackles and Likens and Tokie each added five as Hillsdale largely bottled up Kentucky Wesleyan's dangerous star tailback, Brandon Mackey, who needed 27 attempts to get to 100 yards. The Panthers finished with 256 yards of total offense against the Chargers.

Hillsdale improves to 3-5 overall, 3-3 in the G-MAC with a second straight road victory. The Chargers now return home for a crucial contest against a dangerous Thomas More team at 1 p.m. on Saturday Nov. 2. The Saints have the same record as Hillsdale and gave the Chargers a hard fight last season in a 35-33 Hillsdale win in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. Playing its best will be important for a Hillsdale team that still holds hope of a winning season if the Chargers can run the table the rest of the way. Saturday's game against Thomas More is also Parents Weekend for the Chargers, and Hillsdale's annual Military Appreciation Day.

Photo by Austin Thomason