Chargers come back from 16-point deficit to win fourth straight game

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Chargers come back from 16-point deficit to win fourth straight game
Luke Keller looks to pass in a game earlier this season. Keller completed 12 of 28 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s win against Walsh. courtesy | camryn olson

The Hillsdale College Chargers overcame a 16-point fourth-quarter deficit on the road Saturday to defeat the Northwood University Timberwolves in overtime, 37-30. The win improves Hillsdale to 4-2 this year in its final non-conference game of the regular season. The Chargers scored the final 23 points of the game in the comeback victory.

“We’re a little cliche about it but we talk about ‘Every Player Every Play,’ playing one play at a time, and we did an unbelievable job at that,” head coach Keith Otterbein said. “So many things had to happen Saturday the way they happened in order for that comeback to be possible. We didn’t have any kind of sense of panic or distraction; it was just line up and play, and we did a great job.”

Redshirt freshman quarterback Luke Keller, whose touchdown run from one yard out on the Chargers’ first overtime possession proved to be the game-winning score, earned the G-MAC Offensive Player of the Week award, the first of his career, for his all-around performance in the win.

Keller completed 16 of 26 passes total for 228 yards and two touchdowns through the air, and gained 40 more yards on the ground, including his overtime score. After throwing six interceptions in his first four games of the season, Keller did not throw an interception for the second consecutive week.

“His development has been good. He’s continued to have a calm demeanor. I think it’s slowing down some,” Otterbein said of Keller’s performance through six games this season. “I thought he did an excellent job of reading the option plays. He showed some toughness and some grit and determination; put a few throws right on the money. He’s making progress along the way.”

Keller spread the ball around in the passing game, connecting with seven different targets through the air. On the Chargers’ first possession of the second half, Keller found junior wide receiver K.J. Maloney for a 26-yard touchdown that cut Northwood’s lead to just one score.

Maloney again led the Chargers’ receiving corps, hauling in five receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown, his third of the season. Since missing all but one play of the team’s first game of the season, Maloney has averaged 92.6 yards receiving per game in Hillsdale’s last five games. The Chargers have won their last four in a row.

By the end of the third quarter, the Timberwolves had rebuilt their lead to 16 points, but on the first play of the fourth quarter, on a 4th-and-11 attempt, Keller connected with sophomore wide receiver Alec Foos fo a 29-yard touchdown to get the Chargers back in the game. 

Hillsdale lined up for a two-point conversion to make the deficit just eight points, and after a defensive pass interference penalty on its first attempt, senior running back David Graham pounded in the conversion on the ground to cut Northwood’s lead to 30-22. 

After forcing a three-and-out defensively, the Chargers pieced together an 18-play, 75-yard scoring drive that included two third down conversions and two fourth-down conversions to ultimately tie the game at 30. Sophomore running back Josef Hissom capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown rush, the first of his career. Keller connected with Maloney for a two-point conversion to tie the game.

The Chargers’ first fourth-down conversion of the nine-minute drive came on a 4th-and-3 opportunity from their own 32-yard line. Hillsdale lined up to punt, but sophomore defensive lineman Matt Gray received a direct snap and rushed the ball six yards to convert and get the Chargers’ offense back on the field.

Five plays later, Keller rushed for two yards on a 4th-and-1 to keep the drive alive, and at the Timberwolves’ 16-yard line, Keller again rushed for two yards on a 3rd-and-1 to move the sticks. The game-tying drive featured 44 yards in the air and 31 on the ground.

“The circumstances dictated how aggressive we were.You’re looking at the clock and you’re looking at how many possessions you’re gonna get,” Otterbein said. “The execution of the fake punt allowed us the chance to win. Getting the two point conversions were big. I thought we did a nice job on both sides on the line of scrimmage. We really controlled that part of it.”

In overtime, the Chargers’ defense stood firm after their offense put the pressure on the Timberwolves. Hillsdale kept Northwood out of the end zone four times from within the 10-yard line, ultimately forcing an incomplete pass on a 4th-and-goal attempt from the two-yard line to seal the win.

After a two-week break from playing conference opponents, the Chargers return to G-MAC play this Saturday as they travel to the University of Findlay to take on the Oilers. Hillsdale defeated the Oilers last season on the road, 20-17.

“They can line up and play with you, and they’re a good football team that knows how to win, knows how to compete,” Otterbein said of the Oilers. “Last year’s game went down to the last play. That’s the same kind of game we’re expecting. As we mature and develop, this is a major test.”

The Chargers’ final five games of the regular season all come against G-MAC opponents, with two games at home and three coming on the road. Aside from Hillsdale, the Tiffin University Dragons are the only remaining team unbeaten against G-MAC opponents, at 2-0. The Chargers and Dragons will play each other in Tiffin, Ohio, on Nov. 9.