The first time the Hillsdale College football team fell behind in the regular season finale on Saturday at home against Ohio Dominican was also the last time.

A 75-yard scoring drive by the Panthers to open the second half and put ODU up 14-10 was just the motivation the Chargers needed to pull away for good, as Hillsdale scored 21 unanswered points to turn a tight contest into a rout and roll to a 31-14 victory.

The win means Hillsdale finishes the regular season at 6-5 overall, securing a winning season for the third straight year, and at 5-4 in G-MAC play.

The Chargers answered ODU's lead-taking drive immediately, getting the ball back and marching 65 yards in the other direction to pull back ahead, 17-14, with 4:39 left in the third quarter. Hillsdale converted a crucial 3rd and 13 in the ODU red zone as Colin McKernan evaded the Panthers rush and hit tailback Kyle Riffel with a throw on the move for a 16 yard gain to set up first and goal. Two plays later, McKernan scored on a keeper from one yard out to put Hillsdale back ahead. 

After a sack by Drake Badger and Luke Penola forced an ODU three and out on the ensuing drive, Hillsdale struck again. With Eli Boyce now in at quarterback, Hillsdale drove 57 yards, and Boyce found Tutt Carrico on a touchdown pass from seven yards out to stretch the Chargers' lead to 24-14 with 11:59 to play in the fourth.

Now in full control, Hillsdale put the finishing touches on the victory. Nolan Strake snuffed out a desperation ODU drive by picking off a pass deflected in the air by cornerback Ryan Niksa, protecting Hillsdale's lead. Two plays after the pick, McKernan got the ball into the hands of the always dangerous Shea Ruddy on a screen pass, and Ruddy weaved through the defense with help from blockers on an 80-yard touchdown jaunt for the dagger, putting Hillsdale up 31-14 with 7:38 to go. From there, the Chargers were able to run out the clock on the victory.

The touchdown was Ruddy's second receiving score of the game, as the junior had gotten Hillsdale on the board on the opening drive of the game with a four-yard touchdown catch from McKernan. Hillsdale staked a 10-0 first half lead on that score and a 36-yard field goal by Dylan DeDario, but ODU was able to get a touchdown right before halftime to cut the lead to 10-7.

Ruddy finished with 154 receiving yards and those two scores on seven catches, while McKernan had another impressive and efficient day, completing 14 of 19 passes for 227 yards and the two scores to Ruddy and also adding 61 yards and a touchdown on the ground to lead the Chargers in rushing. Boyce had a solid day as well on his two drives, completing 7 of 9 passes for 102 yards and the touchdown throw to Carrico. For the game, Hillsdale had 329 passing yards, its most in a game in 2025, and the most given up by ODU in its 10 contests on the year as well.

Braden Rabideau added two catches for 59 yards for Hillsdale, and Jonathan Metzger also hauled in a 31-yard pass.

Defensively, Badger assisted on the sack with Penola and had a solo sack as well to finish with 10 on the season in 11 games, the most by a Charger since Drew Berube's 13 in 2009. Jonah Jensen finished with eight tackles as well for the Chargers, Penola added seven, Colin Morrow chipped in six and Niksa finished with three pass breakups.

Along with finishing with a winning record, Saturday's win also allowed Hillsdale to send its 19 graduating seniors out as victors in the final game of their careers at Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium. 

While the game marks the end of the regular season, it may not be the end of the 2025 campaign for the Chargers, as Hillsdale is in line to be the G-MAC's representative in the America's Crossroads Bowl should regionally-ranked Findlay, Ashland and Northwood all make the NCAA DII Playoffs. The playoff field will be announced tomorrow, Nov. 16.

If Hillsdale were to qualify for the bowl, it would be Hillsdale's second appearance in the annual game after qualifying for the inaugural edition in 2021. Hillsdale would face off against the top team not to make the playoffs from the Great Lakes Valley Conference on Dec. 6, 2025 at the Brickyard Stadium in Hobart, Indiana.