Charger Game Notes - Oct. 17, 2009

October 15, 2009 - Please excuse the players and coaches of the Hillsdale College football team if the smiles have been a little more difficult to wipe off their faces this week.

It is the natural human reaction to winning a game of the magnitude the team did last weekend, 27-24, over previously top-ranked and undefeated Grand Valley State. But the reality is, that game is over, and the team has been preparing to play one of the surprise teams in the GLIAC this week.

The Chargers (5-2, 4-2) make their longest road trip of the season when they head to Marquette to take on Northern Michigan University at 1 p.m. Saturday from the Superior Dome. NMU has surprised many Division II football fans with its 5-1 start to the season, and its current national ranking of 23.

But surprise or not, that's where the Wildcats are, and the statistics clearly justify their record. Northern Michigan leads the GLIAC in both points scored and fewest points allowed. The Wildcats also have the top-rated defense and running game in the conference, all tried-and-true methods to put together a winning record.

That is what will face the Chargers after a 10-hour drive north, and what will await them in the only domed stadium the team will play in this regular season. It's a different environment from anything else the team sees throughout the season, one that always presents a challenge to visiting teams.

Several things marked Hillsdale's 27-24 win over Grand Valley State last week. The Chargers played with passion and belief, and relatively mistake-free football in handing the Lakers their first regular season loss since 2004. Hillsdale took advantage of the opportunities it received, and made key plays at the most crucial times throughout the game in picking up a win that gained national notice.

The team will have to duplicate many of those things if it is to defeat a much-improved Wildcats team. Last year, Hillsdale manhandled NMU 49-25 at home, and the Chargers have scored 91 points in their last two meetings with the Wildcats.

NMU boasts the best 1-2 punch at running back in the league. Rushers Antonio Wallace and Mark Bossuah rank 6-7 in the GLIAC in average rushing yards per game, and between them, average 187.9 yards on the ground per game. Charger fans should remember Bossuah well from the last trip Hillsdale made to the Superior Dome, back in September 2007. He rushed for more than 300 yards in a wild game that ended with Hillsdale edging the Wildcats, 42-41.

The Chargers have deployed a multi-faceted offense all season, making them tough to defend. Quarterback Troy Weatherhead leads the conference in pass attempts, and is two most frequent wide receiving targets, A.J. Kegg and Andre Holmes, rank 1-2 in the GLIAC in receptions per game.

On the ground, senior Vinnie Panizzi is second in the GLIAC with 119 rushing yards per game. He has four 100-yard rushing games on the season, and set new career-highs for rushing yards in a game Sept. 19-26, picking up 188 and 231 yards against Indianapolis and Ashland, respectively.

Northern Michigan moved into the national rankings this week, which may actually be a good sign for the Chargers. Hillsdale is 2-0 vs. ranked teams this season, one win coming at home, the other on the road (Ashland Sept. 26). Hillsdale has won two in a row over Northern Michigan.

The head coaching matchup also stands out in this week's game. Hillsdale's Keith Otterbein and Northern Michigan's Bernie Anderson are the only GLIAC head coaches with more than 100 career wins on their resumé. Otterbein won his 100th career game back on Sept. 5, 37-35, over Anderson's former team, Michigan Tech.