Hillsdale Dominates Walsh Behind Career-day For Quarterback Eli Boyce

HILLSDALE — Junior quarterback Eli Boyce delivered the biggest performance of his college football career Saturday, accounting for all six Hillsdale College touchdowns in a 42-27 homecoming victory over Walsh at Frank “Muddy” Waters Stadium.

The Holland, Michigan, native and Holland Christian graduate put together a career day with 400 yards of total offense, including 267 passing yards and 133 rushing yards. Boyce completed 20-of-35 passes for two touchdowns and rushed for four more, a collegiate career high.

For Boyce, the performance was the result of an offense firing on all cylinders, particularly the play of his offensive line.

“We came out swinging in the first half,” Boyce said. “Great showing from the defense, too. And I’m just so blessed to be put in this position.”

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Boyce became the first Hillsdale quarterback to rush for more than 100 yards in a game since Luke Keller in 2021 and the first Charger to score four rushing touchdowns since Michael Herzog recorded five against Ohio Dominican in 2023.

Dominating start

The Chargers (5-1, 3-1 G-MAC) dominated the opening half, scoring on five of their first six possessions to build a 35-7 halftime lead against a Walsh team that entered the matchup with just one loss.

Boyce opened the scoring with a 55-yard touchdown pass to Shea Ruddy before adding a 3-yard rushing touchdown late in the first quarter. Another touchdown pass to Ruddy and two 1-yard scoring runs gave Hillsdale a commanding lead entering halftime.

The offense continued its success in the third quarter when Boyce capped a 15-play, 70-yard possession with a 12-yard touchdown run, carried into the end zone by the entire offensive line.

Hillsdale finished with 530 yards of total offense, including 245 rushing yards, while controlling possession for nearly 45 minutes.

Ruddy finished with seven catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns, his second consecutive 100-yard receiving performance. Tutt Carrico added five receptions for 79 yards, while Ben Ngishu contributed 61 rushing yards.

Boyce was appreciative of his offensive line, which helped the Chargers convert 11-of-16 third-down attempts.

“O-line played insane,” Boyce said. “(They) gave me all the time I needed.”

Chargers building confidence

Saturday’s victory extended Hillsdale’s winning streak to three games following a narrow 10-7 road loss against Northwood on Sept. 19.

The Chargers responded with victories over Thomas More and away at Lake Erie before returning home for the first of three consecutive October home games.

Boyce believes the Northwood loss provided an important lesson about offensive execution and maintaining confidence when facing difficult opponents.

“I think overall, it’s just confidence in ourselves and belief in ourselves that we can make the plays to win the game and just keep going one play at a time,” Boyce said. “We struggled a bit offensively. Defense has been playing crazy the whole year.”

Boyce said the experience reinforced the importance of maintaining focus throughout a game rather than allowing individual mistakes to affect the next possession.

“After that game, for sure, it was just 100-percent focus every single play,” Boyce said. “Making sure we’re locked in, executing, and just giving 110-percent effort every single play.”

The Chargers defense opened the game by forcing four consecutive three-and-outs and held Walsh to just 47 rushing yards. Luke Penola led Hillsdale with six tackles, followed by Jonah Jensen with five and Ryan Niksa with four.

Walsh scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to narrow the final margin, but the Cavaliers were unable to overcome Hillsdale’s early dominance.

The victory also kept Hillsdale firmly in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship race. The Chargers remain one game behind conference leader Northwood, with two major home matchups remaining.

Nationally ranked Findlay heads to 'The Dale'

Hillsdale’s next challenge could be its biggest yet when No. 16 Findlay visits on Saturday, Oct. 17.

The Oilers improved to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play with a narrow 7-6 victory over Ashland on Saturday, setting up a matchup between two teams tied for second in the G-MAC standings.

Findlay relied on its defense against the Eagles, forcing three turnovers, including two interceptions, while limiting Ashland to 78 rushing yards and two field goals.

The result sets up an intriguing challenge for Boyce and a Hillsdale offense coming off its most productive outing of the season.

“Yeah, it’s two great defenses going at it for sure,” Boyce said. “(Again), it's just one play at a time.”

The Chargers also have unfinished business against their conference rivals.

Last October, Hillsdale nearly upset nationally ranked Findlay on the road before falling 16-14. The Chargers had an opportunity to take the lead late in the fourth quarter but missed a 21-yard field goal with 3:42 remaining.

The loss extended Findlay’s winning streak against Hillsdale to four games.

Boyce understands the importance of executing against an opponent that has consistently challenged the Chargers.

“We’re going to have to grind it out on the ground, through the air,” Boyce said. “Just be ready to give it our all every single play, because it’s going to take all four quarters, all 60 minutes.”

Saturday’s game is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will feature the college’s Navy Day, with fans encouraged to wear navy.

Following the homecoming atmosphere against Walsh, Boyce hopes Charger fans return in force for the critical conference showdown.

“It was a great atmosphere out here today,” Boyce said. “We really feed off that. We love the fans (and) the support.”

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Hillsdale dominates Walsh behind career-day for quarterback Eli Boyce