The Hillsdale College football team started the season firing on all cylinders on Saturday, putting up its best offensive performance in years to roll past visiting McKendree 55-24, and move to 1-0 overall.

Hillsdale's 55 points were the most by the Chargers in a game since a 56-21 win over Alderson Broaddus in 2019, and the most in a season opener since a 59-3 win over Gannon in 2007.

The Chargers rolled up 497 yards of offense in the victory, including 314 on the ground, thanks in part to a huge day from Ben Ngishu. The sophomore tailback became Hillsdale's first player to go over 200 yards rushing in a game since David Graham in 2019, finishing with a career-high 212 yards on 18 carries. Ngishu rushed for 11.8 yards per attempt thanks to electric touchdown runs of 78 and 80 yards that saw him break multiple tackles and outrun the defense at the second level for scores that helped the Chargers pull away.

Hillsdale started the game with a scoring drive, taking the opening kickoff and marching 61 yards on 11 plays. Quarterback Colin McKernan punched in the touchdown on a QB keeper from one yard out to get the Chargers on the board.

McKendree would answer later in the quarter to tie up the game at 7, but on the ensuing kickoff, the Bearcats made the mistake of kicking to the Chargers' All-American return man, Shea Ruddy, who showed why he was named one of the best specialists in the country in 2025 by exploding through a seam and racing down the sideline for a 96 yard touchdown return to put Hillsdale back in front.

The Bearcats tied the game up once again to start the second quarter, but Hillsdale dominated the rest of the half. McKernan through two touchdown passes in the quarter, a 35-yarder to Tutt Carrico and a seven-yarder to Ruddy, and Ngishu added the first of his two long touchdown runs to give the Chargers a 35-14 halftime lead.

Hillsdale continued to roll in the second half. The Chargers' other quarterback, Eli Boyce, stood tall in the pocket against the rush to hit Ruddy on a 36-yard pass for the senior standout's third touchdown of the game, Ngishu raced for his second long touchdown to break 200 yards on the ground, and Boyce capped the victory in the fourth quarter with a two-yard rushing touchdown.

McKernan was 7 of 10 through the air for 109 yards and his two passing scores, while Boyce was 3 of 4 for 72 yards and his passing touchdown as well. Ruddy led the Chargers in receiving with 65 yards on five catches, Carrico added two catches for 45 yards, freshman Will Simpson grabbed a 34 yard reception and senior Jonathan Metzger also made a nice one-handed grab for 27 yards.

Hillsdale played a solid game defensively, led by junior captain Luke Penola, who finished with a team high 10 tackles, 1.5 for loss, and a sack as well. Jayden Njoroge added a sack as well for the Chargers, Ryan Niksa added a tackle for loss and a pass breakup, and Jonah Jensen chipped in five tackles as well for Hillsdale, which held a dangerous McKendree passing game in check to help the Chargers pull away.

With a win in hand, the Chargers will look to improve to 2-0 next weekend with another home contest against in-state foe Wayne State on Saturday at noon. It's the first meeting between the two programs since 2016, when Hillsdale moved from the GLIAC to the G-MAC, but the 61st contest in a long series between the two programs that started in 1909.