HANOVER, Ind. – This weekend is a battle of Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference preseason favorites, with Hanover hitting the road for Conference favorite Mount St. Joseph.
 
HCAC PRESEASON POLL
The Hanover Panthers were pegged second in the HCAC Preseason Poll in a vote conducted by league coaches, capturing 31 points and one first-place nod.
 
MSJ took the top spot in the poll as the favorite to win its fourth straight HCAC crown with 36 points and six first-place votes.
 
THE LAST MEETING
Hanover and Mount St. Joseph squared off last season with the Lions claiming a fourth quarter battle 49-41.
 
Junior Eian Roudebush threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns. He also added 32 yards on the ground and a score. The junior finished with 22 completions on 30 attempts.
 
The Lions were led by Eli Aston as the top target, hauling in four touchdowns and 233 yards.
 
THE SERIES HISTORY
Mount St. Joseph leads the overall series 14-3. The Lions have won four straight, including an 8-1 record at home.
 
The Panthers' last win came in 2019, as Hanover went on the road to Cincinnati and defeated MSJ 27-3.
 
2025 HCAC STATISTICS
Hanover enters the weekend as the top dogs on defense. The Panthers lead the HCAC in fewest yards per game (300.8), fewest touchdowns allowed (7), and fewest combined yards allowed (1,203).
 
Sophomore Brian Wall is a key member of the defense, ranking first in total tackles 42 (25 solo - 17 assist), and tackles per game (10.5).
 
Despite the success on defense, Hanover clashes with the best in the business on offense. Mount St. Joseph leads the HCAC in average yards per game (390.8), most touchdowns scored (17), and total yards (1,563).
 
Eli Aston paces the attack, ranking first in receptions (37), yards (503), touchdowns (7), receptions per game (9.3), and points per game (10.5).
 
BUSINESS TRIP TO ROSE-HULMAN
The Panthers opened HCAC action at Rose-Hulman in dominant fashion. The team combined for 439 total yards of offense, including 259 yards through the air and three touchdowns. The run game was also firing on all cylinders as they added three scores and 180 yards.
 
The stout defense held the Fightin' Engineers to just 151 yards. Senior Ashton Schuetter and sophomore Brian Wall led the effort, combining for 17 tackles.
 
Senior Clint Hearne added an impressive and HCAC-longest 45-yard field goal.
 
HOMECOMING
Hanover returns to Alumni Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18 when they celebrate Homecoming! The Blue and Red will take on the Ravens on Anderson, kick-off slated for 1:30 PM.