HILLSDALE, Mich. – The No. 16 UIndy football team kicked off its 2016 season with a tough region loss Saturday night, falling 30-24 at Hillsdale College. After a slow start, the Greyhounds (0-1) took the lead with a 17-point third quarter, but the Chargers (1-0) clawed back with a pair of scores in the final stanza to earn the upset win.
 
Redshirt-sophomore quarterback Jake Purichia made his first career start for UIndy, finishing 12-20 passing for 223 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions while also adding a rushing TD.
 
Three Hounds finished with double-digit tackles, led by senior captain Rob Dury's 15.
 
Winning the coin toss and deferring, Hillsdale started the game with a successful surprise onside kick. The Greyhound defense stepped up to force the third-and-out, however, after three straight incomplete passes.
 
But UIndy could not find an offensive rhythm in the first half as they managed just a pair of first downs and only 16 total plays from scrimmage. The result was a 13-7 deficit heading into the break.
 
The majority of the Hounds' first-half all-purpose yardage came on two plays. Tuwan Payton's 56-yard kickoff return early in the second quarter immediately preceded a 40-yard touchdown pass from Purichia to Garrett Willis.
 
After the slow start, UIndy hung 17 big points on the board in the third to take a 24-20 lead into the final stanza. Brad Schickel started the second-half scoring with a 15-yard field goal. Touchdown drives of 39 and 74 yards followed, the latter of which featured just two plays – both catches by Malik Higgins.
 
The fourth quarter would not be as fruitful, however, as the Charger defense stiffened to hold the Hounds scoreless in the final 15 minutes of play. Meanwhile, the imposing Hillsdale offense – which featured a 6-6, 245-pound quarterback and an offensive line averaging 6-foot-5 – delivered enough of a punch to slip past the visiting Hounds. QB Chance Stewart's one-yard TD pass to Drew Zwiers regained the lead, and later a Steven Mette field goal capped a time-eating 7:24 drive late in the night.
 
Willis and Higgins combined for 154 receiving yards, while Andrew Walker was the Hounds' leading rusher with 28 yards. Dury's fellow linebackers Aaron Bruning and Derrick Bryant each added 10 tackles, senior d-lineman Tommy Taylor amassed a sack and a forced fumble, while DL Lucas Rice was credited with a pair of QB hurries.
 
Hillsdale's Stewart finished 29-42 passing for 320 yards, with 197 of which going to Trey Brock and his 13 catches.
 
UIndy returns home Saturday, Sept. 10 for the second-ever "Monumental Matchup" versus crosstown Marian.


Notes: The loss snapped a three-game win streak versus Hillsdale, as well as a 10-game regular-season streak versus D-II opponents … Joining Purichia as a first-time starter was OL Mitch Rougraff, OL Chad Eppley, DL Lucas Rice, LB Aaron Bruning, and CB Robert Williams.