SHEBOYGAN – An early lead and another breakout performance by Dezmon Eddie (Fr.-Alexandria, La.) were not enough for the Lakeland University football team in a 50-34 loss to Wisconsin Lutheran College Saturday afternoon at Urban Field.

The Muskies lost in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play for the first time this season and also fell in their debut at their home away from home for the rest of the season. Lakeland dropped to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the NACC, while surging WLC improved to 3-4 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

Eddie was spectacular with 140 yards rushing, 115 yards receiving, three touchdowns and a host of big plays, including rushing scores of 47, 35 and 21 yards plus a 57-yard reception. The freshman running back topped 140 yards rushing for the second straight week and had a hand in over half of the Muskies' 444 yards of offense.

The Warriors were even more powerful on offense, though, gaining 532 yards on the day. Quarterback Pat Mathieson rushed for 219 yards, many coming on runs right up the middle, and he scored twice on the ground while also passing for 228 yards and four scores. WLC as a team gained 304 yards on the ground and possessed the ball for 35:18, including nearly two-thirds of the second half.

Even more importantly, WLC played nearly mistake free throughout and made Lakeland pay for its mistakes. The Muskies turned it over three times in the second half leading directly to 10 points, dropped several passes, and also had a blocked punt returned for a touchdown in the second quarter.

Lakeland led 20-6 at the end of one quarter after two of Eddie's long scoring runs and a juggling 62-yard catch and run by Dezmen Morse (Jr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) from Michael Whitley (Jr.-Vidalia, La.), but Wisconsin Lutheran scored two touchdowns in a span of 1 minute, 47 seconds to turn momentum. Mathieson scored on a 57-yard run virtually untouched through the middle of the defense on the fourth play of the second quarter, and Emil Johnson then blocked a punt by Brandon Pribbernow (Jr.-Brillion, Wis.) and returned it 17 yards to make the score 20-18.

The Warriors eventually went ahead on a touchdown pass by Mathieson to Alex Foster, one of their three connections on the day. Eddie scored again before the half was out, though, scampering around left end from 21 yards out as Lakeland led 27-24 at halftime.

WLC dominated the third quarter with a touchdown and two field goals, scoring 10 points off two Muskies' turnovers, and the Warriors fully asserted themselves one minute into the fourth when Mathieson scored again on a 50-yard run. Lakeland got seven points back after Kezlow Smith (Sr.-Pontiac, Mich.) scored on a two-yard run on 4th-and-goal, but another drive ended on downs and Wisconsin Lutheran salted it away with an 11-play, 62-yard drive that ate up 5:45 off the clock and ended with a 4th-and-goal conversion for a touchdown.

Eddie finished with 10 carries for 140 yards and caught six passes for 115. Morse also had a 100-yard receiving day with six catches for 103 yards. Whitley completed 16 of 36 passes for 250 yards and also rushed for 33 yards.

Smith finished with three catches for 20 yards and took possession of another Lakeland record with his first reception of the game. He is now the Muskies' all-time career leader in receptions with 183 catches, breaking the mark of 180 set by Jeff Taff from 2000-03.

Donte Rowell (Jr.-Chicago, Ill.) led the defense with 11 tackles, including nine solo. Airiss Hargrow (Sr.-Flint, Mich.) and Kevyn Lewis (Sr.-Inkster, Mich.) also both added nine tackles each, and Hargrow finished with three tackles for loss.

Lakeland was playing on the home field for Sheboygan North High School in its first game ever at Urban Field, and first game played in Sheboygan since 1970.

The Muskies are back on the road next week when they travel to face Concordia University Chicago at 1 p.m. in River Forest, Ill.

Muskies by the numbers:
3 - 100-yard receiving games this year for Dezmen Morse
4 - Plays run in the red zone (inside the WLC 20-yard line) by Lakeland
8 - Plays of 19 yards or more for Lakeland
19:35 - Time of possession for Wisconsin Lutheran in the 2nd half
27 - First half points for the Muskies
183 - Career receptions for Kezlow Smith, a new Lakeland record
255 - Total yards rushing and receiving for Dez Eddie
270 - Lakeland yards of total offense in the first half
304 - Rushing yards in the game for Wisconsin Lutheran
444 - Yards of total offense for Lakeland, the team's second-highest total this season