After dismantling Lake Erie, Chargers set sights on Walsh for chance at four wins in a row
HILLSDALE — The Hillsdale College football team looks to make it four wins in a row with a road trip to Walsh College after decimating Lake Erie 54-21 in their penultimate home closer.
Coach Brad Otterbein and the Chargers have just two games remaining on their 2023 schedules. However, they have won just one road game this season. Their hopes at a winning season are on the line this Saturday.
Last Week
Hillsdale crushed visiting Lake Erie 52-21 on Saturday, piling up 505 yards of total offense in a game that was nowhere near as close as the lopsided final score indicated.
The Chargers scored 35 first quarter points and led 52-7 in the third quarter before the Storm were able to score a couple of late touchdowns against Hillsdale's deep bench.
Senior Tailback Michael Herzog became the first Hillsdale running back since David Graham in 2019 to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a single season and did so with two games remaining in the season Herzog had a big game with 156 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries.
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Game Day Information
Hillsdale College (4-5, 4-3 G-MAC) heads to Walsh (3-6, 1-6 G-MAC) to take on the Cavaliers at Larry Staudt Field in North Canton, OH. Game time is scheduled for 12 p.m.
Live broadcast information is available through Walsh University's athletics department.
Hillsdale has a 7-0 record all-time against Walsh, including a 35-17 win at home over the Cavaliers last September.
Scouting Walsh
The Cavaliers have struggled to build upon their great start to the 2023 season when they won back-to-back games for the first time since 2018. They hold a 1-6 overall record in the G-MAC. With two games to play, the Cavaliers can run the table to earn their first five-win season since 2011.
The bread-and-butter of Cavalier football is their defense. Linebackers Cam Hollobaugh and Rocco Iacino lead Walsh's defense, with Hollobaugh particularly standing out with 72 tackles, 8.5 for loss, three sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
In the Cavalier secondary, players Jojo Holmes, Robbie Page and Jajuan Jackson have combined for seven interceptions and 11 pass breakups. They are a tough team to beat through the air and are a solid rush defense.
The offense sits at the bottom of most offensive categories in the G-MAC, including 10th in both total offense and pass offense.
The Cavaliers are going through their growing pains with true freshman quarterback Dalys Jett, who has started seven games for Walsh. He has struggled as a passer, completing 40.24% of his throws. He does offer Walsh dual threat abilities, having earned 276 yards on the ground this season.
The rushing attack is led by Dom Jennis with 372 yards and three touchdowns, along with redshirt freshman Cameron Macon who has 354 yards. Anthony Harris is Jett's top target with 447 yards and one touchdown on 27 catches.
Walsh is coached by John Fankhauser, who is in his sixth season at the helm of the Cavaliers with a 14-42 record overall. An assistant for 19 years at Walsh before taking over the head job, Fankhauser got his start under legendary Walsh coach Jim Dennison, joining the program after serving as a student assistant at his alma mater, Youngstown State, in the mid-90s.
Notes
Herzog won his second G-MAC offensive player of the week award this season. He earned his second honor after breaking the 1,000-yard mark against Lake Erie. Only 10 tailbacks in Hillsdale history have earned that stat mark in a season.
Herzog currently has 1,002 yards with two games left in the season. He ranks eighth in the nation at the NCAA Division II level. His 16 rushing touchdowns leads the G-MAC and are tied for third in the nation at the NCAA DII level. He is tied for sixth all time in Hillsdale College history with his 16 rushing touchdowns.
He also leads the entire nation in all-purpose yardage. He could become the first Charger to lead the nation in that stat since Kevin Clive in 2002.
With 131 wins to date, Otterbein is third all-time in career coaching victories at Hillsdale, trailing two Charger Athletics Hall of Famers in Frank "Muddy" Waters (138) and Dick Lowry (134). If he maintains his current career pace of wins per season, Otterbein would pass Waters for the all-time record in the fall of 2024.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: After dismantling Lake Erie, Chargers set sights on Walsh for chance at four wins in a row
