Schedule
Hillsdale College (0-0, 0-0 G-MAC) at McKendree (0-0, 0-0 GLVC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 6 | Leemon Field | Lebanon, IL
 
Follow/Watch
Live Stats | Webcast | Tickets
 
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | McKendree Roster | 2024 Hillsdale Stats | 2025 McKendree Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
 
Last Season
For the second straight season, a slow start left Hillsdale in a big hole, as the Chargers lost four straight to start the 2-24 campaign and sat at 1-5 in mid-October. Despite the dire situation, Hillsdale once again rallied in the back half of the season, reeling off a five-game winning streak to close out the year with a winning record at 6-5 overall. A hard-fought 14-13 victory at rival Northwood on Oct. 5 snapped the losing streak, and Hillsdale got a signature win late in the season with a Nov. 9 home upset of G-MAC title contender Tiffin, 20-17, thanks to a touchdown pass from Colin McKernan to Connor Pratt with 44 seconds to go. The Chargers rallied around an elite rushing attack that led the G-MAC in yards per game, thanks to an offensive line anchored by All-American center Nick Affholter. Hillsdale also excelled in special teams, leading all of NCAA DII in yards per kick return thanks to another All-American, wide receiver Shea Ruddy, who finished in the top five in the nation in all-purpose yards. Ruddy returns in 2025, as does All-Region linebacker Jacob Vance and All-G-MAC tight end Andrew Konieczny.

 
Scouting the Opposition
For just the second time in program history and the first time since 2017, Hillsdale will meet McKendree on the gridiron to kick off the 2025 season.

Since joining the GLVC in 2012, the Bearcats have been a competitive program usually occupying the middle of the pack in that conference, including three straight 5-6 finishes dating back to 2022. McKendree enters the weekend already having a game under their belt, falling to FCS program Indiana State in a 41-24 contest on August 28.

The Bearcats return several key pieces from an offense in 2024 that put up big yardage totals, ranking second in the GLVC with 406 yards per game, but struggled to convert that output into consistent scoring, ranking seventh in the league at 24.4 points per game. Finishing drives will be a big emphasis for McKendree this season as it looks to move up the standings.

McKendree has a balanced attack headlined by returning second team All-GLVC tailback Eddie Clark, who rushed for 1,146 yards and 14 touchdowns on 5.1 yards per carry last season. Clark is backed up by junior Eric Dickerson, Jr., who flashed talent with a solid performance in the opener against the Sycamores.

The Bearcats pair Clark's rushing ability with a solid passing game run by veteran quarterback Ty Michael, who threw for 2,542 yards and 17 touchdowns as the starter last season. McKendree used three quarterbacks against Indiana State, with Ty's younger brother, Colt Michael, getting the start. The Chargers will have to be prepared for both quarterbacks, as well as third-stringer Charlie Blondin, who also played multiple snaps against the Sycamores.

McKendree graduated its top two receivers from 2024 but returns a third-team all-GLVC target for Michael in Jaylen Ford, as well as 2024 reserves Brylan Apholone and Quincy Hall, Jr., who each had a touchdown against the Sycamores. The Bearcats' skill position players are operating behind a retooled offensive line that replaces three starters from 2024 but returns two veterans – All-GLVC center and third-year starter Nick Cicero, and right guard Kaden Toeynes.

Defensively, the Bearcats have some graduation holes to fill but also several key veteran players returning as McKendree looks for what was a middle of the pack unit in the GLVC to leap forward in 2025.

A strong pass rush headlined by returning ends Tanner Hollerich and Dameion Hatten, both All-GLVC players in 2024, is the foundation the Bearcats will try to build on. Hollerich and Hatten were second and third on the team, respectively, in sacks in 2024 and combined for three total in the opener against Indiana State. McKendree also returns two All-GLVC linebackers with starting experience in Nick Bova and Logan Turbyfill to fill out a solid front seven.

The talent up front will have to cover for an inexperienced secondary as the Bearcats look to develop chemistry in that unit as the season progresses. McKendree returns one starter in safety Drew Ellis, who had two interceptions and four pass breakups in 2024, but the Bearcats will have new players at the other three positions, including true freshman Jace Meeks, Quincy transfer Johnnie Robinson and junior Khalid Stewart.

 Southern Illinois transfer Chase Reeves takes over both the kicking and punting duties for the Bearcats, and averaged 41 yards per punt against Indiana State while also hitting a 24-yard field goal. A 57-yard try at the end of the second half was blocked by the Sycamores. Quincy Hall, Jr. is the top return man for McKendree and a dangerous one, with a kickoff return touchdown to his name from 2024.

McKendree is coached by Jason Rejfek, now in his second season in charge of the program. A former All-Conference linebacker at McKendree, Refjek served as the Bearcats' defensive coordinator from 2018-2023 before becoming the interim head coach in 2024, earning the permanent job with his performance in the role last season.

 
The Series
The only prior meeting between the Chargers and Bearcats came on Sept. 16, 2017, when McKendree won a tight 24-21 contest at Hillsdale. In a back-and-forth game, Hillsdale took a 21-17 lead on a 39 yard touchdown run by David Graham with 7:56 to play in the third, but McKendree answered with a rushing touchdown of their own on the next drive to pull ahead for good. The Chargers had four more possessions but couldn't string together a drive to retake the lead.

 
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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The Chargers should have a formidable defensive line in 2025 with the return of the team's top four players in sacks from 2024, led by junior defensive end Drake Badger, whose 11.5 tackles for loss were in the top 10 in the G-MAC. Senior defensive tackle Hunter Sperling was close behind with 9.5 tackles for loss and has been a major disruptive player who's entering his third year as a starter. Sperling is already drawing preseason attention for Hillsdale as the program's nominee for the William V. Campbell trophy, one of the top honors available to college football players.
• 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.