Hillsdale Collegian: Chargers topple No. 1; Huge game Saturday

Chargers topple No. 1; Huge game Saturday

After defeating Goliath, Hillsdale knows massive implications surround their match-up with Wayne State Saturday

By: Nathan McClallen
Posted: 10/22/09

With four seconds left on the clock, undefeated No. 1 Grand Valley State University kicker Justin Trumble set up for a 49-yard field goal that would send Hillsdale College's homecoming game into overtime.

The kick went up, and time seemed to slow as the ball flipped end over end towards the uprights.

As the ball sailed wide right and time expired, hundreds of fans poured onto the field to celebrate the upset.

"NUMBER 1 GOES DOWN! NUMBER 1 GOES DOWN!" was the call from the announcers as they took in the scene.

After such a monumental victory, a lot of teams wouldn't have come out ready to play their next game.

According to junior quarterback Troy Weatherhead, that's why many Division II football experts picked Hillsdale to lose the next week on the road at No. 23 Northern Michigan University,
Instead, the Chargers avoided the "letdown" game, and picked up a 28-17 road win against a team that led the conference in rushing offense, holding them 21 points below their scoring average in the process.

Weatherhead tied a career-high with four touchdown passes in the game, while senior Vinnie Panizzi had 30 carries for 130 yards. Panizzi currently ranks 10th in the nation in rushing yards per game.

This victory means that in their last two games, the Hillsdale football team has had two of their biggest wins in the last 20 years.

According to head coach Keith Otterbein, the game against Wayne State University this Saturday is now more important than the previous two combined.

"As you keep winning big games, the next one is that much bigger," he said.

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