Schedule
Hillsdale College (7-3, 5-3 G-MAC) at Ohio Dominican (5-5, 4-4 G-MAC) | 12 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 | Panther Stadium | Columbus, Ohio
 
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Live Stats | Webcast | Tickets
 
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | ODU Roster | Hillsdale Stats | ODU Stats | G-MAC Schedule | G-MAC Standings
 
Last Game
Despite being outgained by over 100 yards and trailing 10-0 early, Hillsdale outscored visiting Ashland 28-7 down the stretch on the way to a 28-17 victory to reclaim the Traveling Trophy from the rival Eagles for the first time since 2022. Quarterback Cole Canter, making his first start for Hillsdale since 2024, connected on touchdown passes of three yards to tight end Will Simpson and 56 yards to Shea Ruddy to give Hillsdale the halftime lead, then the Chargers sealed the victory on an 85 yard kickoff return touchdown by Ruddy in the third quarter and interceptions by Jonah Jensen and Luke Penola, with Penola returning his pick 20 yards for the game-sealing score in the fourth quarter.

 
Scouting the Opposition
For the eighth-straight season, the Hillsdale College football team finishes its season against Ohio Dominican in a game that's recently been a battle of two teams close in the G-MAC standings trying to author a winning finish.

This year is no different for ODU, which enters the game at 5-5 overall and is looking to finish with a winning record for the first time since 2022, also the last time the Panthers beat the Chargers.

Long known for a punishing defense, the 2026 edition of the Panthers has stood out for a strong offensive performance, led by talented sophomore quarterback Carson Parker, a dual-threat phenom who's thrown for 18 touchdowns and run for seven more this season. While also heavily buoying the ODU passing game, Parker's ability to make plays with his legs has elevated the Panthers attack on the ground as well. Nathan Webster is the team's top tailback, with 414 rushing yards and four touchdowns, and Roderick Love and Mekhi Jenkins get carries in a crowded backfield for the Panthers as well.

ODU is a spread team with several gifted wide receivers, led by Luke Hess, who has 635 yards and six touchdowns on the season. Hess is the top threat but junior Conner Campbell is also an extremely dangerous target, and one the Panthers will hope to have back for the finale after missing the last two games. Angelo Harper, Joey Triplett, Gage Bodey and tight end Zack Stevens are also factors in the passing game. Up front, the Panthers return several starters, led by returning All-G-MAC right guard Andrew Schmitz, for a unit that's helped ODU put up big numbers but has also struggled to protect Parker at times.

While the offense has been a bright spot, the ODU defense has struggled in 2026, ranking eighth or worse in all four major categories and forcing the Panthers to win shootouts. One area where ODU has been successful so far is in the secondary, as the Panthers have a G-MAC leading 19 interceptions, with six from Treyton Schroeder and four from Quinten Robinson. Dominik Richardson and Dalton Chicoat are the top pass-rushers for ODU, while linebackers Gabe Pence and Harlee Hanna and safety Mason Welsch lead the team in tackles. The Panthers will ask more of Pence and Hanna this weekend as a team that has struggled to stop the run this season tries to slow down Hillsdale, who leads the G-MAC in rushing yards per game.

Freshman Ryan Elliot has been one of the top kickers in the G-MAC, going 10 for 12 with three makes from beyond 40 yards, while Ian Furlong averages 41.5 yards per punt. Jackson Callaway is ODU's top kickoff man, while Treyton Schroeder returns punts for the Panthers.

Kelly Cummings is in his 11^th season as head coach for the Panthers, with six winning seasons and a 2017 G-MAC championship during his time at ODU. 

 
The Series
Since their first meeting in 2010, the Hillsdale-Ohio Dominican series has been hotly contested, with the Chargers holding a narrow 8-7 edge. Hillsdale has won three straight in the series, all by double-digits, and five of the last six, most recently a 31-14 win in Hillsdale in 2025. ODU's last win in the series came in 2022, in a 20-10 victory in Columbus, and the Panthers are 3-6 against Hillsdale in the last decade.

 
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.
• Senior defensive end Drake Badger tied the single-game G-MAC record for sacks with an epic performance at Kentucky Wesleyan on Oct. 31, recording four sacks and a forced fumble in the 52-21 win over the Panthers. Badger earned G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors, his second of the season, for his performance. 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 fifth in Hillsdale College history for career sacks (30) and career tackles for loss (43). He leads not only the G-MAC but is tied for the national lead with 11 sacks in 2026.
• 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 81, ranking sixth in the G-MAC, and his game-sealing interception return for touchdown against Ashland on Nov. 7 earned him G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second time this season. Earlier in the campaign, a career-best 17-tackle performance against Findlay on Oct. 17 had also led to G-MAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
• Senior Shea Ruddy continues to be a multi-faceted weapon for the Chargers. He recorded three-straight 100 yard receiving games from Oct. 3 to Oct 17 and currently ranks second in the G-MAC with 735 yards receiving, a career-best performance. He also continues to excel on special teams, as he ranks second in the nation in kickoff return average, with 37.1, and is one of just two players at any level of college football this season to record three 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.
• Senior quarterback Cole Canter was the man for the moment for the Chargers against Ashland on Nov. 7, completing 16 of 26 passes for 211 yards and a pair of critical touchdowns in a 28-17 win over the Eagles to reclaim the Traveling Trophy for Hillsdale for the first time since 2022. It was a special day for Canter, who was making his first start since 2024 on Senior Day. It's been a long wait for the Wayne State transfer, who dropped to fourth on the depth chart at one point during his career but continued grinding and improving. That work paid off in the win over the Eagles, and he'll look to add another win as a starter for the Chargers this weekend against ODU.
• Ruddy received one of the biggest honors of his career on Oct. 19. That day, 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 ten games, giving up just 15.8 points per game so far, and holding the top three teams in the G-MAC, Northwood, Findlay and Tiffin, to more than 10 points below their season average. The Chargers rank 10th in all of NCAA DII in fewest points allowed, and they've done it without forcing a slew of turnovers, with just ten 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.
• Drake Badger isn't the only talented pass rusher Hillsdale has as the Chargers have been putting consistent pressure on the quarterback this season with 32 sacks, second-most in the G-MAC and fifth in the country per game. Badger leads with his 11 sacks but he's followed closely by Jayden Njoroge with 5.5, Evan Bienick with 4.5 and Luke Penola with 4.
• 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 2025 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.