After defeating Walsh, Hillsdale College football has shot at a winning record for 2023
HILLSDALE — Hillsdale College football stares down a shot at earning a winning record for the 2023 season after starting the year with four straight losses.
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Since their 31-21 loss on Homecoming to the University of Findlay, Charger football has won five of their last six games, including two road wins.
They have a chance to end their season on the winning side of .500 after beating Walsh in their final road game of the season. They face 4-6 Ohio Dominican University for their Senior Day home finale this Saturday.
Week 10: Hillsdale 28, Walsh 3
Hillsdale led Walsh 21-3 at halftime of their final road test this season. Hillsdale added one more touchdown at the fourth quarter mark to earn a 28-3 victory and send Walsh to a 3-7 overall record.
Senior quarterback Garrit Aissen had 130 passing yards for Hillsdale. The Chargers' receiving game was led by Sam Lee, who caught three passes for 74 yards.
True Freshman Shea Ruddy continues to be a spotlight on the offense, earning two touchdowns on the day for the Chargers.
The Chargers had a total of 356 rushing yards on the day, the third time this season the Chargers have broken the 300-mark.
Hillsdale's 1,000-plus yard senior tailback Michael Herzog had another huge game for the Chargers, rushing for 156 yards on 20 carries to move his single-season total to 1,158, good for eighth all-time in Hillsdale's history. Herzog had plenty of help on the ground against Walsh.
Game Day Information
Team 131 concludes their 2023 season with a matchup against Ohio Dominican at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 at home.
More: Hillsdale 2023 Chargers Roster
A live, free webcast of Saturday’s game is available through the Hillsdale College athletic website. Pull up the football schedule and click on the VIDEO link for Saturday’s broadcast. Jim Measel and Dan Bisher return for their 23rd season handling the telecasts of Charger football. Local radio coverage is also provided by WCSR 99.5 the Dale, and WRFH, Hillsdale’s on-campus, student run radio station.
Hillsdale will honor a large senior class on Saturday on the occasion of their final home game in a Charger uniform, with 23 current players and three student managers set to be recognized. Among those players are senior captains Michael Herzog and Garrit Aissen, as well as three-time All-Great Midwest honoree Michael Harding and 2021 All-G-MAC honoree Julian Lee. All 26 seniors will be honored during a pregame ceremony and also will receive recognition at Hillsdale’s annual Awards Banquet on Sunday,
ODU holds a narrow 7-5 lead in a contested series that started in 2010. Matchups between the Panthers and Chargers have been decided by 10 points or less in seven of the last 12 games.
Hillsdale has won three of the last five games against the Panthers. The Panthers won 20-10 at ODU in last year's season finale.
Scouting ODU
More: ODU 2023 Roster
The Panthers have made their opponents earn every yard this season as their defense is one of the top units in the G-MAC. They match up well to Hillsdale's strengths up front, allowing just 83.5 yards on the ground to opponents' offenses. The Chargers average 200 yards a game on average.
Panther Eddie Miller-Garrett is one of the top G-MAC defensive linemen in 2023, having earned 10.5 sacks with one game to go this season. Safeties Jayden and Daishaun Hill both earned first team All-G-MAC honors in 2022 and continue to shine in 2023.
The Panthers have played in four one-score games this season, having lost three of those by three points or less. In the middle of their season, the Panthers broke out with three straight wins, including victories over Lake Erie, Walsh and Northwood.
However, things have fallen off in their past two contests. Playing No. 17 Tiffin, the Panthers lost 44-10 on their home turf for their Senior Day. They lost the week earlier to Findlay in a 24-3 final.
The offensive struggles have been heightened whenever they play winning teams. The Panthers have only three games where they have scored more than 20 points this season. The Panther offense leans on experienced senior tailback Travis Whittaker, who has a career-high 542 yards on the year.
The Panthers have struggled with a quarterback transition halfway through their season after starter Jake Byrd went down. Taking over was Drew Gallehue, who has completion 58-percent of his passes for 936 yards. Gallehue struggles with turnovers, having thrown 11 interceptions.
Their offensive line has given up 26 sacks, the third-most by any team in G-MAC play.
Ohio Dominican is coached by Kelly Cummings, who's in his eighth season in charge of the Panthers with a record of 52-27 overall. Cummings has guided the Panthers to the 2017 G-MAC title and a 2019 America's Crossroads Bowl bid during his tenure.
Other Notes
Senior tight end Michael Harding earned a prestigious honor by being named a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy in September. Harding, a three-time All-G-MAC tight end, was nominated for the award, considered by many to be the academic equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, both for his outstanding play on the football field and his impressive achievements in the classroom.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: After defeating Walsh, Hillsdale College football has shot at a winning record for 2023
