TIFFIN, Ohio – The Tiffin University football team will make its final regular season road trip on Saturday as the Dragons travel to Hillsdale College for a key Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) matchup.
Tiffin enters the contest with momentum following one of its most exhilarating victories of the season. The Dragons erased a 17-point deficit and erupted for 28 fourth-quarter points to stun Walsh, 31-27, last Saturday in North Canton. The comeback victory improved Tiffin to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in G-MAC play, keeping the Dragons firmly in the conference title race entering the final three weeks of the regular season. Hillsdale also enters Saturday with a 5-2 overall record but sits at 3-2 in conference play after suffering a narrow 22-19 loss to No. 16 Findlay last weekend.
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THE SERIES: Hillsdale College and Tiffin will meet for the 20th all-time matchup as it's been super competitive since their first meeting in 2002. The Chargers hold the 10-9 edge, but won 28-21 last season. Trailing 21-14 at the break, the Dragons seized momentum in the third quarter with a pair of explosive touchdown plays.
Alex Johnson connected with
Ethan Holbrook on a 69-yard touchdown pass to tie the game before finding
Javier Wills for an 87-yard scoring strike on the ensuing possession to give Tiffin its first lead of the afternoon. The Dragons' defense then held Hillsdale scoreless over the final two quarters and came up with a fourth-down stop deep in Tiffin territory late in the game before the offense ran out the final 4:25.
FOURTH QUARTER FIREWORKS: The Dragons have outscored opponents 48-33 in the fourth quarter this season. Against Walsh, Tiffin converted 7-of-8 third down attempts in the fourth quarter while controlling possession for over 12 minutes in the final frame.
Cane Mack helped provide a spark as he completed 22-of-34 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns, while engineering the game-winning drive.
DEFENSE LEADING THE WAY: The Dragons are amongst Great Midwest's top defensive units by allowing just 19.3 points and 245.9 yards per game. Opponents have managed only 110.6 rushing yards, which is 25th best in Division III and 135.3 passing yards per contest, which is sixth-best. Tiffin has held four opponents to 14 points or less this season.
PRESSURE FROM EVERYWHERE: Tiffin has totaled 16 sacks and 60 tackles for loss through seven games.
Radical Rothermel leads the team with four sacks, while
Popeye Williams has a team-best 8.5 tackles for loss.
Anthony Shields also owns 5.5 tackles for loss and
Nick Crawford has totaled three sacks.
RED ZONE EFFICIENCY: Once inside the red zone, the Dragons have converted 26-of-29 trips (89.7 percent) into points while scoring touchdowns on 20 of those opportunities. Defensively, opponents have scored touchdowns on just 52 percent of their red-zone opportunities.
TAKING CARE OF THE FOOTBALL: Tiffin has lost only two fumbles all season and has committed just seven total turnovers. The Dragons have turned the ball over one time or fewer in six of their seven games.
MULTIPLE WEAPONS IN THE BACKFIELD: Ronald Blackman continues to pace the Dragons' rushing attack with 626 yards and six touchdowns on 105 carries. He averages 89.4 rushing yards per game, which is tops in the G-MAC and 6.0 yards per carry, surpassing the 100-yard mark three times this season.
Daniel Weems adding 236 yards and three touchdowns while
Johntu Reed has chipped in 98 yards and a score. The Dragons have totaled 17 rushing touchdowns through seven contests, including three from quarterback
Cane Mack.
ANTOINE APPROACHING 1,500 YARDS: Kyle Antoine has completed 94-of-150 passes for 1,220 yards and nine touchdowns while completing 62.7 percent of his throws. He has eclipsed 200 passing yards three times this season, including a season-high 267 yards against Northern Michigan.
SCOUTING HILLSDALE: Quarterback Eli Boyce serves as the catalyst for the offense, throwing for 991 yards and eight touchdowns while also leading the team in rushing touchdowns with eight. The Chargers utilize a two-headed rushing attack, as Boyce and Ben Ngishu have combined for 750 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, while Shea Ruddy adds another 126 rushing yards and two scores.
The top targets in the passing game are Shea Ruddy and Tutt Carrico, who have combined for 65 receptions, 942 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Ruddy leads the team with 36 catches for 524 yards and four scores, while Carrico has added 29 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdowns.
Defensively, the Chargers are led by linebacker Luke Penola, who tops the team with 59 tackles. Up front, Drake Badger has been a disruptive force with 8.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, while Evan Bienick and Jayden Njoroge have combined for 11.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss. Hillsdale has forced nine turnovers on the season and ranks among the conference leaders in rushing defense and total defense.
UP NEXT: Kick off from Frank "Muddy" Waters Stadium is slated for 2 p.m. on Saturday. The 'Gons will close out the regular season hosting three-straight home games against Lake Erie (Oct. 31), Ohio Dominican (Nov. 7) and No. 14 University of Findlay (Nov. 14).
