HANOVER, Ind. – The Hanover football team welcomes the Adrian College Bulldogs in non-conference action. The Panthers enter the 2021 season as the favorite to win the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) after winning the title in 2019, 2020, and the spring of 2021.
 
THE RACE FOR 500: The race for 500 program victories is on as the Panthers enters the weekend just one victory shy. The recent success for the Blue and Red has played a major role in the push for 500 as the 2021 spring season saw them post a perfect 4-0 mark. It didn't stop there as the 2019 campaign would see them finish at 9-2 overall, including an unblemished 7-0 conference mark.  
 
TODAY's MATCH-UP: The last meeting between the Bulldogs of Adrian and the Panthers of Hanover came in 2019 with HC claiming the 49-28 victory within the confines of Alumni Stadium. The Blue and Red were paced by the senior duo of Shawn Coane (Evansville, Ind.) and Walt Ballinger (Beech Grove, Ind.). The one-two punch combined for 166 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
 
UNDER THEOBALD: Head coach Matt Theobald enters his sixth season with Panthers posting a career 28-18 overall record, 26-9 in HCAC action. He has led the program to three consecutive HCAC titles, while making back-to-back NCAA Playoff berths.
 
PRESEASON POLL: The HCAC announced their preseason poll with Hanover pegged the favorite to repeat. The Blue and Red claimed 63 points and seven first place votes, while Mount St. Joseph finished second with 53 points and one first place nod.
 
D3FOOTBALL.COM TOP 25: The preseason accolades continued for the Panthers as they were also named to the D3football.com Top 25 poll, the only HCAC institution to claim the honor.
 
THE RETURN OF COANE: The D3football.com accolades continued for the Panthers as senior, running back, Shawn Coane (Evansville, Ind.) was named to the Preseason All-America Team. The senior enters the 2021 campaign as the school record holder in rushing yards (3,163), all-time points scored, and touchdowns (19) in a season. Coane also sits one touchdown shy of the career rushing touchdown record of 41.