Schedule
Ohio Dominican (5-4, 4-4 G-MAC) at Hillsdale College (5-5, 4-4 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 15 | Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium | Hillsdale, MI
 
Follow/Watch
Live Stats | Webcast | Tickets
 
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | ODU Roster | Hillsdale Stats | ODU Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
 
Last Game
Led by a stellar performance from quarterback Colin McKernan, who completed 82% of his passes for 242 yards and touchdown throws to Shea Ruddy, Tutt Carrico and Andrew Konieczny, Hillsdale jumped out to a 23-10 lead on the road at favored Walsh. The host Cavaliers didn't go down quietly, scoring 10 points in the final quarter and a half to cut Hillsdale's lead to 3 points, but the Chargers defense held when it needed to, stopping two drives with well-timed pass breakups from Ryan Niksa and Jack Trachet. Walsh missed a 42-yard field goal with 1:42 to play that would have tied the game, and Hillsdale was able to run out the clock on a 23-20 victory.
 
Scouting the Opposition
The final home game of the season for Hillsdale College is an important one, as both the Chargers and their opponent, Ohio Dominican, aim to finish above .500 on the season with one final victory.
 
The Panthers, 5-4 entering this week's contest, are very similar to other recent Ohio Dominican teams, as an excellent defense has propped up an inconsistent offense to allow ODU to be competitive in G-MAC play.
 
ODU's defensive prowess has always been built around a talented secondary, and this season's edition is no different. Safety RJ Maddox and cornerback Kaden Holmes have combined for seven total interceptions and spearhead a dangerous ballhawking unit that's made the Panthers one of the G-MAC's best against the pass. The Panthers don't have quite the pass rush they've had in recent years, but still do have dangerous players off the edge, including end Jace Schaefer and pass rush specialist Quentin Wagers.
 
The Panthers also are stout against the run, thanks to Schaefer and gifted linebackers Gabe Pence and Harlee Hannah. Defensive tackle Leonard Sharp also helps the Panthers get push up front defensively.
 
Offensively, ODU has taken a step forward from the last couple of years, where the Panthers were among the worst-performing teams in the conference. The passing game has taken off for ODU since true freshman Carson Parker to hold of the starting quarterback job four weeks ago, as he's thrown eight touchdown passes, in those games, including four against G-MAC contenders Ashland and Findlay. Prior to Parker taking over full-time, the Panthers had just two touchdown passes in its first five games.
 
Veteran Jayden Cornell has been the primary beneficiary of Parker's emergence at quarterback, catching five of those eight touchdown passes and ranking among the top receivers in the league with 612 yards on the season. Fellow receiver Conner Campbell also has multiple touchdown catches, while Joshua Moore is a frequent target and tailback Nathan Webster has two scoring grabs out of the backfield as well.
 
Webster's also played a role in a reinvigorated ground game for the Panthers, as he's formed a solid tandem with starter Markquan Rucker to rush for over 700 yards and nine touchdowns on the season. Parker also is capable of picking up first downs with his feet, a major factor in his winning the job in the first place. Consistent rushing production has helped boost ODU's offense back toward the middle of the pack in the G-MAC. ODU's offensive line skews young but returns two starters from 2024 in Mason Fry and Tylar Mix.
 
Henry Vakerics has been an asset for the Panthers at kicker, hitting eight of nine field goals with a long of 41 to give ODU one of the G-MAC's best so far. Logan Ortt is the punter for the Panthers, averaging 35.8 yards per punt, while Cornell and Mekhi Kilburn handle returns for ODU.
 
The Series
One of the tightest and most competitive series between two teams in the G-MAC currently, Hillsdale and ODU each have seven victories in the 14 meetings between the two squads since 2010. Hillsdale is on a two-game winning streak over the Panthers, including a 28-6 victory in Columbus last season.
 
Other Notes

• Saturday is the final home game for 19 members of the Hillsdale College program who are graduating this upcoming spring. This group includes starters Billy Collins, Carter Cushman, Connor Pratt, Hunter Sperling, Ryan Strasser and Jack Trachet, as well as several other contributors. Cushman and Sperling have served as team captains throughout all of the 2025 campaign. The Chargers will hold a pregame ceremony honoring its senior class 25 minutes before kickoff on Saturday.

• 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.
• 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 adding another sack in Hillsdale's 23-20 win over Walsh on Saturday, Drake Badger became the first Charger since Zach VanValkenberg in 2018 to put up 8.5 sacks in a season. Before VanValkenberg, one has to go back to 2009 and Drew Berube's 13 sack campaign to find a superior performance. Badger, who's been a terror for two years straight, also ranks 10th all-time in Hillsdale history in career sacks with 17.5.
• With his 90 yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Lake Erie on Oct. 25, Shea Ruddy tied the Hillsdale career kickoff return TD mark of 4 set by Chad Gurica from 2002-05.  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). He's continued to be one of the best in the nation in 2025, putting up similar numbers in the return game this year, while also serving as one of the team's leading receivers with a 74-yard touchdown reception against the Storm as well. He also ranks eighth in Hillsdale College history in career receiving touchdowns with 17.
• 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 not just leading the Chargers but ranking second in the G-MAC as a whole with 692 rushing yards. A native of Wylie, Texas, just outside of Houston, Ngishu had back-to-back 100 yards games against Ashland and Kentucky Wesleyan and ranks second in the G-MAC in yards per carry and 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 against Tiffin on Oct. 4, 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 at the top of the list again with 59 tackles through 10 games, along with 6.5 tackles for loss. 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.
• Junior Colin Morrow was slowed by injuries in each of his first two seasons but has taken off in 2025 with better health. He currently is second on the Chargers with 56 tackles while playing the STAR position, a hybrid linebacker/safety, and has added three interceptions, a forced fumble and fumble recovery for a touchdown.
• Along with Ngishu, Hillsdale's gotten breakout seasons so far from a variety of sophomore receivers. Tutt Carrico leads the Chargers in all categories with 32 catches, 564 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns, while fellow sophomore Ryan Skura has 236 yards and two scores, and tight end Andrew Konieczny adds 248 yards and four touchdowns as well. The trio have combined to catch 12 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 and earned G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for a three-touchdown game against Walsh on Nov. 8 that saw the quarterback complete 82% of his passes for 242 yards.
• 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.