Hillsdale Football moves up a spot to 12 in coaches' poll

Hillsdale moves up a spot to 12 in coaches' poll

AFCA Release

WACO, TEX.– Morehouse beat Kentucky State, 41-25, moving its record to 4-0 and jumped into the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll for the first time in school history. The Maroon Tigers are ranked No. 20 in the fourth week of the poll. Grand Valley State still holds on to the top spot with 19 first-place votes, but No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth took home three more first-place votes this week after a 42-10 win over then-No. 18 Wayne State (Neb.). North Alabama still sits at No. 3, but the Lions also received one more first-place vote from last week after a 48-6 defeat of Southern Arkansas. California (Pa.) and Abilene Christian (Texas) round out the Top 5. New to the poll this week are No. 16 Albany State (Ga.), No. 21 Central Missouri, No. 23 Delta State (Miss.) and No. 24 Augustana (S.D.).


2010 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll

September 20, 2010

Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts.

1. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (19)
2. Minnesota-Duluth (4) 3-0 620
3. North Alabama (3) 3-0 604
4. California (Pa.) 3-0 558
5. Abilene Christian (Texas) 3-0 552
6. Texas A&M-Kingsville 3-0 519
7. Northwest Missouri St. 1-1 463
8. Missouri Western St. 3-0 441
9. West Texas A&M 2-1 428 9
10. Midwestern St. (Texas) 3-0 374
11. Minnesota St.-Mankato 3-0 359
12. Hillsdale (Mich.) 2-1 350
13. Edinboro (Pa.) 3-0 280
14. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 2-1 278
15. Tusculum (Tenn.) 4-0 219
16. Albany St. (Ga.) 3-0 203
17. West Alabama 2-1 196
18. West Liberty (W.Va.) 1-1
19. Nebraska-Kearney 2-1
20. Morehouse (Ga.) 4-0 123
21. Central Missouri 3-1 116
22. Central Washington 2-2 115 25
23. Delta St. (Miss.) 2-1 97
24. Augustana (S.D.) 3-0 82
25. Tuskegee (Ala.) 2-1 72

Dropped Out: North Carolina-Pembroke (14), Washburn (Kan.) (15), Winona St. (Minn.) (17), Wayne St. (Neb.) (18), Valdosta St. (Ga.) (20).

Others Receiving Votes: Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 54; North Carolina-Pembroke, 51; Washburn (Kan.), 51; Wayne St. (Neb.), 48; Winona St. (Minn.), 46; Shepherd (W.Va.

Chargers at the Top of the GLIAC

Despite being a game back in the standings with a 1-1 league record, Hillsdale College is none the less sitting atop several GLIAC conference football statistical categories.

Team Statistics:
#1 Total Offense: 446 yards per game
#1 Passing Efficiency: 189.1 rating, next closest is NMU's 153.5
#1 First Downs: 24 per game
#1 Third Down Conversions: 48.3%
#1 Fourth Down Conversions: 2/2
#1 Penalties: Only 19 yards per game
#1 Time of Possession: 35 minutes 18 seconds per game
#1 Red Zone Offense: 88.2%

Individual Statistics:
#1 Rushing Yards per Game: Joe Glendening, 165.7 yards
#1 Passing Efficiency: Troy Weatherhead, 191 rating
#1 Receptions per Game: Andre Holmes, 8.3 catches
#1 Receiving Yards per Game: Andre Holmes, 114.7 yards
#1 All Purpose Yards per Game: Joe Glendening 180.3

Check out where the Chargers rank in other stat races at GLIAC.org.

My Take: Good win for Hillsdale College Football

Having to face another rival in Ashland, on the road, right after the Allendale debacle just might have been the best medicine for Hillsdale.

The Chargers had to refocus quickly and do all of the things it took to be what most figured to beat a quality opponent, despite the fact Ashland was coming off of its own loss to Indianapolis.

Troy Weatherhead had his laser sites locked in again and went 21 of 25 for 250 and 2 TDs, both to Andre Holmes. Holmes had 147 yards receiving, including a 69 yarder he broke for his second score.

In the process, Weatherhead became Hillsdale's all time leading passer with 7100 career yards. Coming into Saturday, Weatherhead was 2nd in passing efficiency and 1st in completion percentage for all of D2. He should remain right at the top again this weeks. Only 14 incomplete passes in 3 games.

Otter kept the attack balanced and gave Joe The Show the ball 38 times. Glendening picked up 185 yards and a score. That makes 409 in his last two efforts, 497 in three career starts.

Once again, the massive Charger offensive line made it all possible.

The Hillsdale bend but don't break defense might take years off of your life cheering for it, but Ben Karaba and Joe Vear made it work where it matters as they both picked off Tyler Housewright passes in the endzone, taking away a couple of Ashland scoring threats.

Vear's interception was a great momentum shifter. Hillsdale was up 10-7 with 3 minutes left in the first half. It preserved the lead, but it provided an opportunity for a quick strike and 3 plays later, Weatherhead and Holmes hooked up for the 69 yard TD, putting HC up by 2 scores.

Sounds like a hard fought game from both sides. Glad my boys came out on top and beating Ashland is always an accomplishment.

Weatherhead becomes all-time leading passer in Hillsdale win

Troy Weatherhead becomes Hillsdale's all-time leader in career passing yards in Chargers' 27-17 win over Ashland

Senior QB now has 7,100 passing yards in career

Box score

Hillsdale College Release

September 18, 2010 - It has been more than four years since the Hillsdale College football team has lost back-to-back games. Bouncing back from last week’s gut-wrenching loss at top-ranked Grand Valley State, the Chargers showed the kind of heart and character they’ve become known for in getting back into the win column Saturday night.

Hillsdale got spectacular offensive games from its primary weapons in defeating Ashland University 27-17 at Ashland’s Jack Miller Stadium. The Chargers are now 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the GLIAC, and return home next week to play Lake Erie College.

Offensive balance has been a key part to the team’s success in recent seasons, and the main cog in that offense wrote his name into the record book Saturday night. Senior QB Troy Weatherhead had another terrific game, going 21-for-25 for 250 yards and two touchdown passes. Weatherhead’s 250 passing yards make him Hillsdale College’s all-time leader in career passing yards, surpassing the record held by Bill Skelton. Weatherhead now has 7,100 passing yards for his career, eclipsing the record Skelton set following the 2003 season.

Full Release

Collegian: Football film girl works and travels with team.

By Mary Petrides

Hillsdale Collegian, September 16, 2010

Don’t insult the football players – a 5-foot-6-inch senior woman has their back.

Anna (Stinhogel) Goss has been filming practices and games since the summer before her freshman year. She’s been to football camp; she’s traveled to away games; she’s been with the team through their wins and losses.

“[They’re] people that I love seeing, love being around and would defend to the teeth anytime anyone would make a crack about the football players,” she said.

Film is an important part of football practice, said Pat Hornak, director of football operations and coach for halfbacks and tight ends. Players and coaches can see mistakes better on film than they can from the field or sidelines.

GLIAC schools are required to share films of every game, Hornak said, and watching other teams’ films can help players prepare for games.

“Film study is that mental preparation you don’t get on a field,” he said. “If [filmers are] not focused on it, we can’t be good at our job as coaches or players.”

Goss grew up in Lincoln, Neb., where, she said, “football was unavoidable in the fall – not to mention that I had three brothers.”

In the spring before her freshman year, she contacted the admissions office looking for work. She thought she would end up working for Saga, Inc., or in the mail room, but she found out that the football team needed a filmer.

She was hired in May and began work that summer.

“I remember for the first couple days of camp her first year, she would kind of sit by herself,” said Marcellus Wade ’09, a linebacker. “It would be about 100 guys and her.”

“I give her a lot of credit for stepping out of her comfort zone,” he said.

Read Full article

Lots of interesting matchups in Hillsdale College's football visit to Ashland on Saturday Night

This has been the quietest Ashland-Hillsdale runup I can remember in the last 5 or 6 years over on the D2football.com message board. Some of the best smack running over the past half decade has come from this rivalry. It's pretty slow this year. It might be the fact the teams are meeting earlier than normal or is it because one of Ashland's biggest yappers got the boot for posting under the influence this weekend? Could it be because both clubs' fanbases are still scratching their heads trying to figure how they both came home empty handed last Saturday night?

Despite the lack of chatter, there are still a bunch of intriguing wrinkles in this matchup.

Taylor Housewright is a roll-out, athletic type quarterback that relies on the short passing game to move the chains...a big switch from the dropback, deep-strike from anywhere threat of Billy Cundiff. The Chargers are going to have to keep everything in front and contain Housewright's ability to scramble. Hopefully, they can get some pressure but Ashland has only given up two sacks in two games. The secondary is going to have to mix up coverages and try to confuse him as well. Two of Ashland's first possessions in Indy ended with Housewright interceptions. A third pick came late in the game as Housewright tried to force a ball while under the shadow of his own goalposts.

Ashland is also going to have to establish a more consistent running game in order to keep the HC defense honest. Last week the team had 139 rushing yards but Housewright had 71 of those. The next highest gaining back was DJ McCoy with 35 yards.

I am also anxious to see how well Ashland's defense that limited UIndy to 11 yards rushing will handle a Hillsdale rushing unit that was virtually unstoppable at Grand Valley. One of Ashland's assistants stated in this week's game notes that Ferris pretty much stopped the run against Hillsdale, but "(Hillsdale) then blew them up with the pass." Ashland wasn't nearly as lights out against the run in their opener with Bloomsburg. Flanklin Quiteh picked up 149 yards on 35 carries. We know Glendening is more than capable of finding space so it will be up to the Charger offensive line to create it. Picking up the blitz is going to be a big job the offensive line has to handle as well. The rushing defense number for AU at Indy is especially gaudy due to the 3 sacks and 5 other tackles for loss that Ashland recorded.

Just some food for thought as the Traveling Trophy goes up for grabs again this week in Ashland.

Week 3 Podcast: You can call me Al

Heartbreak Hotel last week in Allendale. We won't dwell on that, just preview the Ashland Eagles with AU Assistant AD for Media Relations Al King.

Little CB drops by with her picks across the GLIAC


Click to listen.