HILLSDALE, Mich. - The Saginaw Valley State University football team fell to #11 Hillsdale College today (Oct. 2), 35-21 in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) match-up.

The first half of action was a back-and-forth battle as the Chargers took an early 7-0 lead, however the Cardinals would respond as senior quarterback Chuck Dowdell (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Northrop HS) would find an open route on a two-yard plunge into the endzone.

The Cardinals would take their first lead of the game when Dowdell found sophomore tight end Zachary Cecich (Crown Point, Ind./Crown Point HS) from 10-yards out with 8:52 remaining in the first half to give Saginaw Valley a 14-7 lead.  Hillsdale responded with a one-yard touchdown run tie the game 14-14.  Saginaw Valley would regain the lead as Dowdell found Meijer "Player of the Game" senior wide receiver Andrew Beaver (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn HS) from 23-yards out to enter the locker room with a 21-14 lead.  Dowdell would end the game with 14 carries for 15 yards and connected on 13 of 23 passes.

The Chargers took advantage entered the second half with high energy as they would add two scores in the third quarter and one in the fourth to seal the victory, 35-21.

The Cardinal defense was led overall by sophomore linebacker Grant Caserta (Holland, Mich./West Ottawa HS) who ended the afternoon with a game high 16 tackles while senior defensive back Rick Evans (Jacksonville, Fla./Sandalwood HS) added nine.  Senior linebacker Wayne Sanders (Rochester, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) would end the game with seven tackles and one sack.

Sophomore running back Ronnie Lark (Flint, Mich./Powers Catholic HS) led the way for the Cardinals offense with 17 carries for 75 yards while Beaver picked up 19 yards on the ground on two carries.

With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 1-4 overall on the season and 1-3 in the GLIAC while Hillsdale moves to 4-1 overall on the season and 4-1 in the GLIAC.  Saginaw Valley will return to action next Saturday (Oct. 9) as they host Michigan Tech University for their 2010 Homecoming game.  Kickoff is scheduled for noon.