Schedule
Tiffin (5-2, 4-1 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (5-2, 3-2 G-MAC) | 2 p.m. ET Saturday, Oct. 24 | Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium | Hillsdale, Michigan
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Tiffin Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Tiffin Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
 
Last Game
Hillsdale fell in a heartbreaking last-second loss to nationally-ranked Findlay at home, 22-19, to snap a three-game winning streak. The Chargers led for much of the contest, including the first 29 minutes of the second half, but a touchdown with 12 seconds to play allowed the Oilers to take the victory. Shea Ruddy returned a kickoff for a touchdown and led the Chargers with 106 yards receiving, Ben Ngishu added a touchdown reception from quarterback Eli Boyce, and Dylan DeDario hit two field goals for the Chargers. Defensively, Luke Penola posted a career-high 17 tackles to lead Hillsdale, Jonah Jensen added a career-high 16 and Drake Badger recorded 1.5 sacks as well for the Chargers.

 
Scouting the Opposition
The Hillsdale College football team has another tough task at home this Saturday as the Chargers look to overcome a last-second loss to Findlay against another G-MAC title contender, Tiffin in the third of a three game homestand.

Tiffin has overcome adversity of its own this season, rebounding from a season-opening heartbreaking loss with four straight wins, then overcoming a last-second loss to Northwood two weeks ago with a come-from-behind win over Walsh this past weekend to remain in the title race at 4-1 in G-MAC play.

The Dragons offense is built around star running back Ronald Blackman, a three-time All-G-MAC player and past G-MAC MVP who leads the conference in rushing by a significant margin this season. He's got a capable understudy in Daniel Weems.

At quarterback, junior Kyle Antoine is a multi-year player at Tiffin who's developed into a solid player for the Dragons, with a 63% completion percentage and nine touchdowns on the year. One thing to keep an eye on -- Antoine left the Walsh victory with an injury and was replaced by Cane Mack, who led Tiffin to the comeback victory. It's uncertain who will start for the Dragons this weekend, depending on Antoine's health.

Tight end Joey Zalewski is the top target with 316 receiving yards and three touchdown catches, while Jaedyn McKinstry is the deep threat with three touchdown receptions on just nine catches as well. Josiah Raber is another important target at receiver, and Blackman is extremely dangerous catching passes out of the backfield as well.

Gauge Samson and Manny Mullens are returning starters on the offensive line for a Tiffin squad that's reloaded well and held its own after graduating three starters from the 2025 team.

Defensively the Dragons represent another formidable test for the Chargers offense, as Tiffin has the second-best defense in the G-MAC in terms of yards allowed, and the top passing defense, surrendering just 135.3 yards per game through the air.

Cornerback Jeremiah Moore is a ballhawk, with four interceptions on the season, and leads a secondary that also gets key contributions from Clarence Brown and Isaiah Funches-Foster. Most of the pass rush for Tiffin comes up the middle, with nose tackle Radical Rothermel looking especially disruptive with four sacks and fellow defensive tackle Nick Crawford chipping in three.

Tiffin has also held up well against the run. Redshirt freshman Lennox Williams has exploded onto the scene and leads the team in tackles, while veteran Jacob Tueimeh also plays an important role.

Ben Rudolph is one of the G-MAC's top kickers, going 6 for 8 on the year and perfect inside 40, while Alex Schattin averages 42.2 yards per punt with a long of 61.  Trey West returns punts for the Dragons and shares kickoff return duties with Sayeed Garnett.
 
The Series
Hillsdale and Tiffin have been as competitive as it gets since their first meeting in 2004, with the Chargers holding a slim 10-9 edge in a back-and-forth series. Tiffin won the most recent meeting, 28-21, last year in Ohio, while Hillsdale pulled a 20-17 upset in 2024, the last time the two teams met on the field in Michigan. The Chargers had a five-game winning streak against the Dragons from 2007-2011, and Hillsdale has never lost three straight to Tiffin in the history of the series.

 
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 in 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.
• Luke Penola became a starter at linebacker for the Chargers as a sophomore this past season, but that was just a prelude for a breakout campaign this season. Penola is leading the Chargers in tackles with 59, ranking in the top 10 in the G-MAC, and is a key piece for one of the top scoring defenses in the country. His 17-tackle performance against Findlay this past week helped him earn G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career.
• 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 for the week of Oct. 10.
• Senior Shea Ruddy continues to be a multi-faceted weapon for the Chargers. He has recorded three-straight 100 yard receiving games and currently leads the G-MAC with 524 yards receiving. He also leads the nation in kickoff return average, with 41.2, and is one of just two players in all of NCAA DII this season to record multiple kickoff return touchdowns. 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.
• Ruddy received one of the biggest honors of his career this week. On Wednesday, the senior was named as a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, one of the most prestigious honors a college football player can receive. Unofficially considered the "Academic Heisman", the Campbell Trophy is awarded to the top student-athlete among college football players in the nation, and past winners include Peyton Manning and Justin Herbert. Ruddy is just the second Hillsdale player to be named a finalist for the award, after quarterback Mark Nicolet in 2007. This honor adds to several in Ruddy's career, including two All-American and Academic All-American honors, and being named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works team earlier this season.
• Hillsdale's defense has been one of the most dominant units in the country through seven games, giving up just 14.1 points per game so far, and holding the top two teams in the G-MAC, Northwood and Findlay, to more than 10 points below their season average. The Chargers rank seventh 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.
• 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 sixth in Hillsdale College history for career sacks (25) and seventh in career tackles for loss (37). He'll look to add to those totals against the Dragons 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 22 sacks, second-most in the G-MAC and eighth in the country per game. Badger leads with 5.5 sacks but he's followed closely by Jayden Njoroge with 4.5, while Luke Penola and Evan Bienick each have three.
• 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 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.