Schedule
Hillsdale College (2-3, 1-2 G-MAC) at #19/21 Findlay (5-0, 3-0 G-MAC) | 2 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 11 | Donnell Stadium | Findlay, OH
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Findlay Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Findlay Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
 
Last Game
Hillsdale battled wire-to-wire with a talented Tiffin squad on the road, riding an interception return for touchdown by Jacob Vance and a kickoff return for touchdown by Shea Ruddy in the first half for a 21-14 halftime lead. A long drive in the two minute drill before the half where quarterback Colin McKernan connected with tight end Andrew Konieczny for a three-yard score gave Hillsdale the margin. In the second half, however, Hillsdale couldn't hold the lead, as the Dragons connected on two long pass plays to pull ahead 28-21, and the Chargers came up empty in two trips inside the Tiffin 25 to try and match.
 
Scouting the Opposition
The Chargers aim to play spoiler in multiple ways this weekend, as Hillsdale travels to rival Findlay looking for a victory that would ruin the Oilers' homecoming, likely knock them from the Top 25, and deal their G-MAC title hopes a blow.
 
It'll be a tough task for Hillsdale as the Oilers are off to a red-hot start. Findlay is 5-0 and while the Oilers haven't played the toughest schedule to date, they won a 38-35 test against nationally ranked UIndy and have looked the part in conference play with three dominant victories in a row.
 
The Oilers lean heavily on a deep rushing attack with three legitimate starting-caliber tailbacks in sophomore Ball State transfer Christian Davis, senior Jayden Farmer and junior Dominic Bennett. The heavy rotation keeps all three backs fresh and as a unit the Oilers have put up strong numbers, combining for 837 yards and six touchdowns in five games to lead the G-MAC in rushing offense.
 
Findlay's strength on the ground has given an inexperienced passing attack room to grow. After competing with Ball State transfer Chase Harrison for the starting job over the first three weeks of the season, true freshman quarterback Andrew Leonard appears to have won the job with an impressive last three weeks that has seen the Oiler complete nearly 69% of his passes with an 8-1 touchdown to interception ratio. Junior Denny Furlong has been a breakout star for Findlay in the passing game with 339 yards receiving and five touchdowns on 17 catches, but veterans Bryan Hunt and Mitch Nielsen remain important contributors as well and UCLA transfer Delon Hurt and tight end Tristan Cross also must be accounted for.
 
A major factor in Findlay's offensive success is a veteran offensive line, as the Oilers lost 2024 G-MAC Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year Yoseph Carter but return the other four starters, including All-G-MAC linemen Ta'Jamere Nash and Gavin Miller, as cornerstones of what is one of the most experienced units in the G-MAC.
 
Findlay's defense also is a veteran unit that's been on-point this year, conceding just 11.6 points per game. The Oilers have been dominant against the run, giving up a G-MAC best 53.8 yards per game on the ground thanks to the play of returning All-G-MAC linebacker Sam Weihrauch and All-G-MAC defensive tackle Londyn Claxton, along with new starting linebacker Kevin Henderson.
 
In the secondary, Findlay returns two elite players in All-G-MAC honoree Christion Stokes, who has a team-high seven pass breakups, and safety Jayon Harvey, also a returning All-G-MAC honoree. Ends Braden Watson and Elijah Shankle provide pass rush, an area the Oilers can improve on as they rank just eighth in the G-MAC in sacks so far.
 
Zachary Barzd has been an excellent kicker for the Oilers so far, 7 of 8 on field goals with a long of 43, while Owen Clevenger is averaging a solid 41.43 yards per punt. Bennett has been solid on kicks and punt returns so far for Findlay but has yet to break a big one in five games. On kickoffs, Clevenger has just five touchbacks on 30 attempts, which could create opportunities for Hillsdale's dynamic return game
 
The Series
2025 marks the 100^th anniversary of the first game in the series between Hillsdale and Findlay, with the first-ever meeting taking place on Oct. 3, 1925, an 18-0 Chargers victory. Hillsdale still leads the all-time series 18-16-1, but Findlay has controlled play recently, winning nine of the last 11 meetings and three straight, including a 28-21 win in Findlay in 2024. Hillsdale's last win in the series was a 34-29 victory in Findlay in 2021.
 
Other Notes

• There will be a new streaming home for Hillsdale College athletics in the 2025 season as the Great Midwest Athletic Conference has agreed to a media rights deal with FloSports. All Hillsdale home and conference contests will stream with FloSports as a part of its FloCollege brand. FloSports is a subscription-based livestreaming service that hosts 40,000 contests and has deals with over 20 conferences in the NCAA. You can find out more information and sign up to watch the Chargers at this link.
• This past summer, there was a major realignment of Super Regions at the NCAA DII level. The Great Midwest Athletic Conference, which has been in Super Region 1 since 2017 along with the MEC, NE-10 and PSAC, will now be a part of Super Region 3, with the GLIAC, GLVC and NSIC. While it's a new alignment, it's a return to familiar potential playoff opponents for the Chargers, who used to be a part of Super Region 3 as a member of the GLIAC prior to 2017 and faced off against GLIAC and NSIC foes in playoff trips in 2010 and 2011.
• Hilllsdale head coach Nate Shreffler is entering his second season as the man in charge, and the veteran coach is no stranger to the sport and to Hillsdale. Shreffler is entering his 27^th season as a coach for the Chargers, including 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 Chargers finished with a 6-5 record in Shreffler's first season in charge, making him the first Hillsdale coach to finish above .500 in his debut season since Hillsdale Hall of Famer Dick Lowry in 1980.
• After four relatively quiet weeks, Shea Ruddy showed why he's one of the most feared players in the G-MAC with an 86-yard kickoff return against Tiffin. The return TD is his third as a Charger and puts him over 1,000 kickoff return yards for his career. In 2024, Ruddy was the first Hillsdale College player in the NCAA DII era to be named both an All-American and an Academic All-American in the same season after setting a G-MAC record by averaging 33.3 yards per return, while ranking second in the nation in kickoff return yardage (732) and fifth in All-Purpose Yards (1,779) and is putting up similar numbers in the return game this year, while also serving as one of the team's leading receivers.
• True freshman tailback Ben Ngishu has been one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises for the Chargers in 2025, seizing the starting job just two months into his time at Hillsdale and currently leading not just the Chargers but the G-MAC as a whole with 431 rushing yards. A native of Wylie, Texas, just outside of Houston, Ngishu had back-to-back 100 yards games against Ashland and Kentucky Wesleyan, ranks second in the G-MAC in yards per carry and is tied for the G-MAC lead in rushing touchdowns. Ngishu is on pace to have the best performance by a Chargers freshman tailback since GLIAC Freshman of the Year Joe Reverman in 2015.
• Junior Jacob Vance had a career first on Saturday, returning an interception for a touchdown for the first time in his three years as a starting linebacker for the Chargers. Vance remains a linchpin of the Hillsdale defense, leading the team in tackles as both a freshman and a sophomore, and he's on track to do it again this season with a team-high 32 through five games. A 2024 first team All-G-MAC and All-Super Region 1 linebacker, Vance was a preseason All-American to D2Football.com and should be in line for more recognition at the end of the season if he stays healthy and continues to produce.
• Hillsdale's secondary has been active in its first four contests and has been putting up big numbers. STAR Colin Morrow is second on the team in tackles with 30 and in tackles for loss with 2.5 despite missing a game with injury, while corners Ryan Niksa and Gavin Chenevey are both in the top seven in the G-MAC in passes defensed with a total of 11. As teams look to avoid a tough front seven, continued success for Hillsdale's cornerbacks and safeties will be key for the Chargers to accomplish their goals this season.
• Along with Ngishu, Hillsdale's gotten breakout seasons so far from a variety of sophomore receivers. Tight end Andrew Konieczny is building on an All-G-MAC honor as a redshirt freshman in 2024 by leading the team in receiving yards and catches so far, while sophomores Ryan Skura and Tutt Carrico close behind with 189 yards and 166 yards, respectively. The trio have combined to catch seven touchdown passes, helping fuel a career year to date from another important sophomore, quarterback Colin McKernan, who's now in his second season as the starter.
• Defensive lineman Hunter Sperling was honored as Hillsdale's nominee for the William V. Campbell trophy, awarded by the National Football Foundation. Considered the "Academic Heisman", the award goes to a senior college football player who makes major contributions on and off the field while also excelling in the classroom. Sperling, an active volunteer in several charitable endeavors and an Economics major with a 3.86 GPA, is also a team captain in his third year as a starter, with 83 career tackles, 13.5 for loss, and 7.5 sacks in 35 games played at defensive tackle.
• Hillsdale has another major award nominee in senior wide receiver Connor Pratt, who is a contender for a spot on the Allstate Good Works team. Pratt, who started and was one of the team's most productive targets as a junior, has been active in a wide variety of community service projects, including Hillsdale's Victory Day, Guys With Ties, and Be The Match Bone Marrow Registry drive fundraisers, as well as several solo volunteer efforts.
• Hillsdale has selected three captains for the 2025 campaign – Vance, Sperling and Carter Cushman, a three-year starter at right tackle for Hillsdale. All three captains are veteran players with significant contributions on the field and as leaders of the program.
• The Charger football program continued to shine academically this past season, with six players earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, including returners Sperling and Ruddy. In addition to making the All-District team, Ruddy went a step further, becoming just the ninth football player in Hillsdale College history to be named a CSC Academic All-American as a special teams player. In addition, 40 Hillsdale football players received Academic All-G-MAC honors for posting a 3.3 or better cumulative GPA through the spring 2024 semester.