Charger game notes - Oct. 31, 2009

October 28, 2009 - There are plenty of scary things associated with the date October 31. Ask anyone part of the Hillsdale College football program what they think is scary about that date, and they are likely to answer "Ferris State."

Saturday afternoon, the Chargers travel to Top Taggert Stadium in Big Rapids for a game against Ferris State University starting at 2 p.m. Hillsdale enters the game looking for its first four-game winning streak in 10 years, and has an overall record of 7-2. FSU has endured a difficult season and is 1-8 heading into Saturday's game.

But records rarely matter in one of the GLIAC's longest-running rivalries. Hillsdale and Ferris State have hooked up for some classic, and unlikely games throughout their 40-year history of playing one another. For example, in 2006, the Bulldgos came to Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium 3-0, but lost to a 1-2 Hillsdale team 29-27. That season, the Bulldogs finished 8-3, and were perhaps one win away from qualifying for the Division II playoffs.

Now, it is Hillsdale (No. 22 in the nation) who is on the playoff hunt. Three straight wins, all coming over teams who are, or were at one time, nationally ranked, have the Chargers third in the latest Super Region 3 rankings. The top six teams in each region qualify for the national playoffs.

Although the playoffs are an appetizing thing to think about, the Chargers are focused on nothing else except for Ferris State. In Hillsdale's last trip to Top Taggert, the Chargers were 3-0 and coming off a 49-28 win over Ashland. But in a weird game, somewhat emblematic of this series, the Bulldogs clipped the Chargers 44-41, the first time in its history Hillsdale has scored 40 or more points in a game and not won.

The 2009 Chargers come into the 41st meeting with Ferris State clicking on all cylinders. Last week, Hillsdale defeated Wayne State 45-14 in a battle of two teams ranked in the top eight in the region. Given the margin of victory and caliber of player (RB Joique Bell) on the other sidelines, it may stand as Hillsdale's most impressive win in a season full of them.

The Chargers have the conference's top-ranked passing game and are the most efficient offense in the GLIAC in third and fourth-down conversions. Three players at three positions have been named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week - QB Troy Weatherhead, RB Vinnie Panizzi and most recently, WR Andre Holmes. Such diversity and achievement level are rare on any one offense, but it shows how versatile and unpredictable the Hillsdale offense truly is.

Defensively, the Chargers matured greatly from their first game in the month of October, a 42-17 loss at Findlay. During the team's current three-game winning streak, Hillsdale has played the other three top scoring offenses in the conference, Grand Valley State, Northern Michigan and Wayne State. Collectively, those teams were held to an average of 16.7 points below their scoring average for the season. Ferris State comes into Saturday's game averaging a conference-low 11 points per game.

In their last two games of the regular season, the Chargers face two teams (Ferris State and Tiffin) with a combined record of 1-17. While this may seem like a positive thing, it is likely to hurt Hillsdale's strength-of-schedule rating in the regional polls. Strength-of-schedule is an important criteria in ranking teams regionally. But at 7-2, with wins over several quality teams throughout the season, the Chargers have positioned themselves nicely for a shot at postseason football for the first time since 1988.