Schedule
Hillsdale College (1-1, 0-0 G-MAC) at Ashland (1-1, 0-0 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 20 | Jack Miller Stadium | Ashland, OH
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Ashland Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Ashland Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
 
Last Game
The Chargers couldn't overcome a strong Michigan Tech team in their home opener, falling 34-21 to the Huskies. Hillsdale scored the first touchdown of the game on the opening drive and trailed just 21-14 entering the half thanks to a 70-yard trick play touchdown pass from receiver Shea Ruddy to Ryan Skura. But Michigan Tech scored on each of its three drives to open the second half and pull away. Hillsdale made things interesting late with a touchdown drive to cut the deficit to two scores but couldn't convert the onside kick to keep the game in doubt. The Chargers passed for 270 yards in the air, with Skura finishing with 117 and two touchdowns on five catches, while Colin Morrow finished with 11 tackles, 2.5 for loss to lead Hillsdale defensively.
 
Scouting the Opposition
It's hard to imagine a bigger game to kick off the 2025 G-MAC schedule for Hillsdale College, as the Chargers battle the defending G-MAC Champion Ashland Eagles on the road in the two programs' annual rivalry game.

Ashland opened the season with an impressive win at Super Region 1 power Indiana (PA) and looked to be well on the way to a 2-0 start against nationally ranked UIndy last weekend before a second-half collapse saw the Eagles drop to 1-1 in a 33-26 loss. That defeat should have the Eagles focused on getting off to a good start in G-MAC play against their rivals this Saturday.

Defense is Ashland's strength, with a unit that ranks not only among the best in the G-MAC but among the best in the nation. Despite facing two conference title contenders in its first two weeks of the season, Ashland is giving up just 260 yards per game, and a stunning 13 yards per game on the ground.

The Eagles D is paced by its phenomenal defensive line, headlines by two disruptive defensive ends who have wreaked havoc this season. Michael Shimek leads not just the G-MAC but the entire nation with 6.5 sacks in two games and will get significant attention. His partner on the opposite side, Elisha Baldridge, is also a threat, ranking second on the team with 12 tackles, 2.5 for loss.

Behind the line, Ashland returns its starting linebacker corps of Ben Holzopfel and Jack Talkington intact from last season, and those two players are a major reason the Eagles are so stingy against the run.

If the Eagles have a relative weakness defensively, it's against the pass, where Indianapolis was able to find some success when Shimek couldn't get pressure. Although the Eagles have conceded yardage, they've also picked off five passes, with corners Isaac Brooks and EJ Teah each grabbing a turnover.

Ashland's defense has carried an Eagles offense that has yet to fully get in gear in 2025, though they've faced tough competition so far. First-year starter Cameron Blair is completing 52% of his passes for two touchdowns and three interceptions, relying heavily on tight ends Brock Henne and Jonathan Merimee, as well as receiver and Eastern Michigan transfer Jent Joseph.

Blair also is a threat to run, with 44 yards and a touchdown already this season, and his mobility pairs well with Ashland's two-back rotation of returning starter Ty'Aris Stevenson and Southern Illinois transfer Willtrell Hartson. While the Eagles haven't had great results on the ground so far, Stevenson put up big numbers in 2024 and there's real potential for a breakout.

Ashland has a decorated and experienced offensive line, with four starters returning from 2024, including All-G-MAC honorees Nick Walker, Ethan Enders and Nico Traczyk, to give protection to Blair.
Ashland is solid on special teams. Kicker Manaki Watanabe is 2-2 on field goals this season with a long of 46, while punter Jaden Cook is averaging 40.7 yards per punt with five downed inside the 20. Riely Weiss and Delond Moss are the return men for the Eagles.
 
The Series
Hillsdale has a 26-22 lead in a series with the Eagles that dates back to 1970 as both teams compete for the Traveling Trophy on an annual basis. Ashland has won the last two meetings, including a 24-21 victory at Hillsdale in 2024, and five of the last six. Hillsdale's most recent victory over Ashland came in 2022, when the Chargers handed then-undefeated Ashland their only regular season loss in a 36-20 victory over the sixth-ranked Eagles.
 
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.

• 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.
• The Chargers return one of the most dynamic players in the country in junior Shea Ruddy, who became 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. An electric player in the return game, Ruddy set a new 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). Ruddy, who was named to the D2Football.com Elite 100 preseason watch list, also led the Chargers in receiving yards and touchdowns, and will be at the top of every opponent's scouting report in 2025.
• After sophomore Tutt Carrico emerged with a multi-touchdown game in Hillsdale's season opening win over McKendree, another sophomore receiver took center stage for the Chargers against Michigan Tech. Ryan Skura caught five passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns, easily exceeding all his previous output at Hillsdale in one game. Skura and Carrico add to a unit that includes veterans Ruddy, Connor Pratt and tight end Andrew Konieczny to give the Chargers a loaded and dangerous passing attack.
• Junior linebacker Jacob Vance is another Charger who made the DIIFootball.com Elite 100 preseason watch list and has been a difference-maker for Hillsdale as the team's leading tackler in each of the last two seasons. Vance was named to the All-Super Region 1 and All-G-MAC teams last season, and has a chance to become the first player in program history to be named the team's linebacker of the year in four straight seasons.
• Hillsdale's secondary has been active in its first two contests and has been putting up big numbers. STAR Colin Morrow leads the team in tackles with 15 and tackles for loss with 2.5, while corners Ryan Niksa and Gavin Chenevey lead the G-MAC and are tied for eighth in all of NCAA DII with five total passes defensed apiece. 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.
• 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.