Schedule
#16 Findlay (5-1, 3-1 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (5-1, 3-1 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 17 | Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium | Hillsdale, Michigan
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Findlay Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Findlay Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings

 
Last Game
Hillsdale dominated a showdown between teams with G-MAC title aspirations, jumping out to a 35-7 halftime lead over visiting Walsh and holding the Cavaliers to just 16 first half plays on offense. While Walsh was able to close the gap in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach, Hillsdale still cruised to a 42-27 victory. The Chargers put up 530 yards of total offense and possessed the ball for nearly 45 full minutes, led by a six touchdown day from quarterback Eli Boyce (four rushing, two passing). Shea Ruddy caught both touchdown passes and finished with over 100 yards for the second straight week, while linebacker Luke Penola led Hillsdale's defense with six total tackles and three quarterback hurries.

 
Scouting the Opposition
The Hillsdale College football team continues its season-defining homestand with a rivalry matchup and a game with huge G-MAC title implications as the Chargers welcome Findlay to Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium this Saturday.

At 3-1 in league play, the Oilers are tied with Hillsdale for second place in the G-MAC behind leader Northwood, who is the only team to take down both Findlay and the Chargers this season. The winner on Saturday will keep pace with the Timberwolves, while the loser's title hopes will be on life support.

The Oilers have one of the top rushing offenses in the G-MAC, just behind Hillsdale, thanks to an impressive two-back rotation. Senior Dominic Bennett and Ball St. transfer Christian Davis have combined to rush for nearly 800 yards in six contests, with seven touchdowns. Change of pace QB Andrew Leonard is a threat with his feet as well, while starting QB Chase Harrison also is capable of picking up first downs on the run.

Harrison, also acquired in the transfer portal from Ball State, has been impressive through the air as well for Findlay, completing 63.8% of his passes for 1,148 yards and 12 touchdowns to just four interceptions. Harrison has had to play the last three weeks without his top target, UCLA transfer Delon Hurt, who has been recovering from injury, but he still has plenty of weapons, including returning All-G-MAC wideout Denny Furlong Jr., Julian Johnson, and Cameron Wright. Harrison has shown a great ability to spread the ball around and make full use of his weapons, with eight different players catching a touchdown pass so far for the Oilers in 2026.

The offensive line, as always, has been key to Findlay's success with the ball. Returning All-G-MAC lineman Ethan Lane is one of three starters back from the 2025 G-MAC Championship squad, along with Bryon Faith and Gavin Miller, and heads a physical, aggressive unit.

The defensive unit for the Oilers is top class, leading the G-MAC and ranking in the top five in the nation in points conceded per game at 11.7. The Oilers have dominated against the run, led by standout linebackers Jon Slaper and Josh Woods and All-G-MAC defensive tackle Carl Biddings.

Findlay has also had success getting to the quarterback, as Elijah Shankle is second in the G-MAC with 5.5 sacks and Biddings is tied for fourth with 4.5. Edge rusher Eric Jones has three sacks as well. Veteran Christon Stokes heads a strong secondary for the Oilers, along with playmaking safety Luke Weihrauch.

Kicker Zachary Barzd is 4 of 8 on field goals but 4-5 from inside 40 yards, while Owen Clevinger was All-G-MAC as a punter last year and averages 44.78 yards. Cameron Wright has a punt return touchdown for Findlay, while Walter Berry handles kickoffs.

The Oilers are coached by Findlay alumnus Tyler Johns, in his first year in charge of the program after a two-year stint as offensive coordinator at Gardner-Webb.

 
The Series
The Chargers and Oilers have been doing battle on the gridiron since 1925, and the series has been extremely competitive, with Hillsdale holding an 18-17-1 edge in 36 contests. Findlay has controlled the series recently with four straight wins, including a 16-14 victory in Findlay last season, but the last two meetings have been one-score games. Hillsdale's last win in the series was a 34-29 victory on Oct. 23, 2021.

 
Other Notes

• Hillsdale College athletics will once again stream on FloCollege for the 2026-27 season as the Great Midwest Athletic Conference continues with a media rights deal with FloSports. All 11 Hillsdale College football contests in 2026 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.
• Hillsdale head coach Nate Shreffler is entering his third 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 winning records in Shreffler's first two seasons in charge, and he was the first Hillsdale coach to finish above .500 in his debut season since Hillsdale Hall of Famer Dick Lowry in 1980.
• Junior Eli Boyce got his first start and full game at quarterback for the Chargers without a rotation and had a historic performance against Walsh, becoming the first Hillsdale player to contribute six touchdowns in a game since Kyle Keefer threw six touchdown passes against Mercyhurst in 1999. Boyce's 133 yards on the ground made him the first Hillsdale quarterback to surpass 100 yards rushing in a game since 2020, and he totaled 400 yards of total offense in the win. His performance helped him earn G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors, and he'll be a key part of Hillsdale's gameplan going forward.
• Hillsdale earned four votes in the most recent AFCA DII Top 25 poll, released on Monday. It's the first time Hillsdale has earned votes in the poll since the 2021 preseason poll. The Chargers are aiming for their first ranking in the poll since the Chargers were 23^rd in the final poll of the 2018 season. Hillsdale's 5-1 start to the 2026 campaign is Hillsdale's best start since that 2018 season, where the Chargers went 9-2 in the regular season, captured the G-MAC crown and made the NCAA DII Playoffs.
• Senior Shea Ruddy has recorded back-to-back 100 yard receiving games in his last two starts and currently leads the G-MAC with 418 yards receiving. To start the season, Ruddy set a record on a 96-yard kick return for a touchdown against McKendree, breaking the G-MAC record for career return yards set by current Indianapolis Colt Ashton Dulin. An electric player in the return game, Ruddy led all of college football in 2025 with 960 kickoff return yards and three kick return touchdowns while becoming the only NCAA DII player in the nation to finish with a rushing, passing, receiving and kickoff return touchdown in 2025.
• Already a two-time All-American and Academic All-American, Ruddy added two prestigious honors in the last two weeks by being selected to the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, and as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. Just 22 college football players from across the country make the Good Works team, which honors outstanding efforts in community service among student-athletes. Ruddy was recognized for his work with the emergency room and surgery at Hillsdale Hospital, as well as serving as the chair of Hillsdale's Be The Match bone marrow donor registry drive, and several other charitable efforts. Ruddy is the first Hillsdale player to be recognized as a part of the team since Phil Davignon in 2008, and Hillsdale's fourth Campbell Trophy Semifinalist in four seasons.
• Hillsdale's defense has been one of the most dominant units in the country through six games, giving up just 12.8 points per game so far, and holding the current G-MAC leader, Northwood, to just ten points in a meeting on Sept. 19. The Chargers rank fifth in all of NCAA DII in fewest points allowed, and they've done it without forcing a slew of turnovers, with just six total takeaways on the season. Hillsdale is playing well on all three levels, with a variety of players who've stepped up and made major impacts at every spot. They have a key matchup this weekend, as Findlay is the only team in the G-MAC giving up less points per game (11.7) and ranked third in the nation in scoring defense, making Saturday a battle of strength vs strength.
• With two sacks, including one in the end zone for a safety, and three tackles for loss, senior defensive end Drake Badger was a force for the Chargers in a road win over Lake Erie on Oct. 3. Badger earned G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance, which included a team-high nine tackles. Over four seasons with the Chargers, Badger has established himself as one of the best pass rushers in program history. Last season, he became the first Hillsdale player to record double-digit sacks in a season since 2009, and he ranks seventh in Hillsdale College history for both career sacks (23) and career tackles for loss (35.5). He'll look to add to those totals against the Cavaliers this week.
• Badger isn't the only talented pass rusher Hillsdale has as the Chargers have been putting consistent pressure on the quarterback this season with 18 sacks, third-most in the G-MAC and in the top 15 in the country per game. Badger has four sacks but he's second to Jayden Njoroge who leads the Chargers so far with 4.5, while Luke Penola, Alex Lee and Evan Bienick each have two apiece.
• Ruddy isn't the only standout receiver the Chargers have, as junior Tutt Carrico is proving to be a prolific player in his own right. After an impressive sophomore campaign that had him rank among the G-MAC leaders in receiving yards and touchdowns, Carrico exploded for three touchdowns and 111 yards receiving against Wayne State on Sept. 12. It's Hillsdale's first three receiving touchdown performance in a single game since current Detroit Lion Isaac TeSlaa caught three TD passes against Walsh in 2022. Carrico was named the G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Warriors.
• Fifth year 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 three seasons. Vance was named to the All-Super Region 1 team in 2024 and earned first team All-G-MAC honors each of the last two seasons. He was the Chargers' Team MVP in 2025 as well as a team captain, 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.
• Fifth-year senior Ryan Niksa had a stellar 2025 campaign, finishing second in NCAA DII and leading the G-MAC with 16 pass breakups to play a major role for the Chargers defense. A starter at cornerback for Hillsdale, Niksa will look to lead a veteran secondary unit that also includes decorated fifth-year safety Colin Morrow and is aiming for major improvement in 2026.
• Hillsdale has selected four captains for the 2026 campaign: Jacob Vance, who will serve as a captain for the second straight season, along with Ruddy, fifth-year offensive lineman Jesse Mendoza and junior linebacker Luke Penola.
• The Charger football program continued to shine academically this past season, with eight players earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors, including returners Ruddy, Penola, Carrico and senior safety Jonah Jensen. In addition to making the All-District team, Ruddy went a step further, becoming the first football player in Hillsdale College history to be named a CSC Academic All-American two years in a row. In addition, 53 Hillsdale football players received Academic All-G-MAC honors for posting a 3.3 or better cumulative GPA through the spring 2024 semester, and the Chargers led NCAA DII with 17 graduating players earning a spot on the NFF Hampshire Honor Society for their achievements in the classroom.