Schedule

Ashland (0-2, 0-0 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (0-2, 0-0 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 21 | Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium | Hillsdale, MI
 
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Hillsdale Roster | Ashland Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Ashland Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
 
Last Week

The Chargers out-gained host Michigan Tech by more than 100 yards but reached the end zone only once in a tough road loss, 21-6, last Saturday. Hillsdale crossed the 50 into Michigan Tech territory eight times but committed two red zone turnovers and missed a 38-yard field goal to allow the Huskies to stay in command of the game. The Chargers D held Michigan Tech to 217 yards but two first half touchdowns by Michigan Tech proved decisive. Backup Colin McKernan played well at quarterback after entering in the second quarter, going 17 of 29 for 205 yards and connecting with Shea Ruddy on a 58-yard touchdown pass. Ruddy finished with 92 yards on three catches and Jonathan Metzger added six catches for 96 yards to lead Hillsdale offensively.
 
Scouting the Opposition

Opening weekend in the G-MAC brings together two programs with traditions of success who need a win in the worst way, as host Hillsdale and visiting Ashland are both 0-2 and can't afford a third-straight loss to open the season.

Ashland opened with two tough opponents in national power Ferris State and PSAC contender Indiana (PA), but have struggled mightily offensively so far, with just 20 total net rushing yards in two games. Sophomores Ty'aris Stevenson and Olando Kamara have shared the load, but are averaging just 2.1 yards per carry, a number that will have to improve if Ashland is to turn its season around.

The Eagles have had more success through the air with second-year starter and Buffalo transfer Trevor Bycznski, who has Ashland's lone touchdown on the season so far on a pass to Jent Joseph. Bycznski is only completing 54 percent of his passes through two games and will look to rediscover the form that saw him play effectively for the Eagles in 2023. Joseph missed last week's game, and in his absence, the Eagles have leaned on Tyler Davis, Tony Pannunzio and Dru Johnson through the air, as well as tight end Brock Henne.

Ashland returns two starters on the offensive line in left tackle Nick Walker and center Ethan Enders, both second-team All-G-MAC honorees a year ago, but is young at the other three spots, with a sophomore and two freshmen holding down starting jobs. Improved chemistry up front will be critical as the Eagles look to get more production out of an offensive unit that currently ranks at the bottom in the G-MAC.

Defensively, Ashland has been more competitive as a unit so far and traditionally the Eagles field one of the best in the G-MAC. The strength of the Eagles is up front, with a veteran unit led by returning All-G-MAC honoree Michael Shimek, who has Ashland's only sack in 2024. Jeffrey Barnett is a disruptive player on the other side of Shimek, while tackles Kristian Gehrisch and Collin Strong are both returning starters as well.

Ashland must rebuild its linebacking corps from 2023 with the graduation of All-G-MAC honoree Jackson Meyers, and with limited experience returning. Sophomores Jack Talkington and Ben Holzopfel have stepped into the void and are among the team's top three tacklers, along with Isaiah Clark, who plays a hybrid linebacker/safety position for the Eagles.

The secondary is usually one of the better units for Ashland, and the Eagles return two All-G-MAC honorees in cover corner Devin Prude and safety Riely Weiss. Junior Bobby Young also has an interception for the Eagles as Ashland looks to limit a Hillsdale passing attack that's put up good yardage in its first two games.

Placekicker A.J. Rhodes was an All-G-MAC honoree in 2023 and is 2 for 3 on field goals this season, while Jaden Cook is Ashland's new punter and averages 43.5 yards per punt. Weiss is the team's return man on both punts and kickoffs.
 
The Series

Hillsdale renewed a dormant rivalry with Ashland in 2021 after the Eagles joined the G-MAC, with the two teams trading wins in the last three years. The Chargers won their most recent meeting in Hillsdale, upsetting sixth-ranked Ashland 36-20 at home in 2022 and handing the eventual G-MAC title-winning Eagles their only regular season loss. Ashland got revenge in last season's contest, rolling to a 38-14 victory in Ashland, Ohio. The Chargers have a 26-21 edge in a series that dates back to 1970, with the two schools competing for the Traveling Trophy on a yearly basis since that first game.
 
Other Notes

• The Traveling Trophy game between Hillsdale and Ashland grew out of a shared tie between the two schools in the form of Hillsdale College graduate Donald R. Mossey. A World War II veteran from Elkhart, Indiana, Mossey graduated from Hillsdale College in 1951 after starring as a guard on the Charger football team. Mossey went on to become an incredibly successful entrepreneur in several fields, and played an important role on both the Seminary Board at Ashland University, where he served for nearly 40 years, and on Hillsdale College's Board of Trustees from 1966 until his passing in 2010. The Traveling Trophy between the two schools was originally dedicated in his honor, and the tradition persists to this day.
• 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.
• 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 looks set to build on a 2023 campaign that saw him accumulate the most receiving yards and touchdowns by a Hillsdale true freshman since two-time All-American Trey Brock. Ruddy has two touchdown receptions of 50 or more yards in two games in 2024 and is second in the G-MAC in receiving yardage with 218, while leading the league with 31.1 yards per catch so far, as well as topping the league in punt return average with 20.5 per return, and all-purpose yards per game with 247.5. Teammate and fellow sophomore Jonathan Metzger also is eighth in the G-MAC through two games with 160 yards as well.
• 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's tied for the team lead in tackles with 13 and tackles for loss with three through two games, along with teammate Vince Francescone.
• 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 a nomination 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.