Lakeland University's rushing attack was nearly unstoppable for the second straight week, furnishing with three 100-yard rushers again as the Muskies ran past Benedictine University 52-42 Saturday afternoon at Taylor Field.

Larry Rivers (So.-Dearborn Heights, Mich.) and Michael Moreau (Sr.-Crown Point, Ind.) both rushed for career highs in going over the century mark and Charl'Tez Nunnery (So.-Liberty, Miss.) also topped 100 yards in establishing a career-best for the second straight week. Lakeland rumbled for 495 yards, its highest total in a game in 13 years, and earned its third Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference win in improving to 3-2 in league play (3-5 overall).

The Muskies kept it on the ground almost exclusively, with runs on 65 of their 77 offensive plays. Lakeland did just enough through the air to keep Benedictine (2-6 overall, 2-3 NACC) honest, including a key pass play for its first score of the second half, and the Muskies defense got enough third and fourth down stops to keep the Eagles playing behind from the middle of the second quarter on.

Lakeland fought off a shaky start that included three first quarter turnovers, rebounding to score 30 first half points in a span of 8 1/2 minutes. That included a stretch of 24 straight points as the Muskies in a snap turned a 14-6 deficit into a 30-14 lead.

Rivers did much of the heavy lifting in the first half, rushing for 164 yards, but it was Moreau who got the Muskies on the board on the final play of the first quarter, breaking free for a 31-yard touchdown on his first run of the game to make it 7-6. Nunnery was next to find the end zone, busting up the middle for 22 yards for a touchdown, and Lakeland tied the score at 14-14 after Eldrada Meeks (Sr.-Southfield, Mich.) ran it in for the two-point conversion.

The Muskies were on the move again after Moreau broke off a 41-yard run down to the Eagles 3, and he scored one play later on a three-yard rush, with Nunnery's two-point run giving Lakeland a 22-14 lead. An errant punt snap gave Lakeland outstanding field position to start its next drive, and it took just two plays for Rivers to score from nine yards out and then run in another two-point conversion making it 30-14 with 6:30 still left in the first half.

Lakeland never trailed again and only once let Benedictine get within less than 10 points, late in the second quarter when Joshua Williams scored on a nine-yard run. The Eagles still trailed just 30-21 at halftime, but the Muskies came out of halftime with a big drive to assert control again.

Lakeland drove down to the Benedictine 19 on its second half opener but had 4th-and-11 from there when Nunnery threw a fade to the left corner of the end zone to Mason Prunick (So.-Sheboygan, Wis.), who got his feet down for his third TD reception of the season. Nunnery ran in the two-point conversion and the Muskies led 38-21, a margin they'd hold into a wild fourth quarter that saw both teams combine for five touchdowns.

Benedictine scored three times, but Lakeland answered the first two with scores of its own and then made the necessary plays on defense and special teams to answer the third time as well. Nunnery raced 40 yards for a touchdown following one Eagles score, and freshman Brandon Robinson (Eastpointe, Mich.) came on and scored his first collegiate touchdown from 13 yards out to make it 52-34.

The Eagles got back within 52-42 after Nick Sternad connected with Brandon Moore from 20 yards out with 4:33 left in the game, but reserve wide receiver Chris Bustamante (Jr.-El Paso, Texas) came up with a huge play on the ensuing onside kick, coming out of a pile with the ball to get the ball back for Lakeland. The Muskies' drive fizzled, but Benedictine's last attempt to score ended when Andrew Cardiel (Fr.-Needville, Texas) picked off Sternad for his first collegiate interception with 22 seconds left.

Rivers rushed 23 times for 162 yards, Nunnery gained 145 yards on 14 carries and Moreau added 13 rushes for 106 yards. Meeks also ran eight times for 57 yards, while Brice Kensey (So.-New Orleans, La.) caught three passes for 56 yards and also finished up at quarterback when Nunnery left the game in the fourth quarter with an injury.

Lakeland finished with 587 yards of total offense. Its rushing total also was the highest by a Muskies team since gaining 541 yards against Concordia University Chicago on Oct. 22, 2005. That game also was the last time Lakeland finished with three 100-yard rushers in a game before accomplishing the feat last week and now again this week.

The Muskies defense gave up 393 yards and 26 first downs but also finished with five sacks, a total of 11 tackles for loss and two turnovers recovered. Though on the field for 94 plays, Lakeland forced six punts and limited Benedictine to converting just 6 of 20 third downs.

Diante Moses (Sr.-Houston, Texas) paced the defense with 15 tackles, including two tackles for loss, one forced fumble and two quarterback hurries. Rayshion Brumfield (Fr.-Ponchatoula, La.) and Paul Saucedo (Fr.-Georgetown, Texas) both added seven tackles and three pass breakups each, and Albert Journet (Fr.-Breaux Bridge, La.) posted two sacks and a forced fumble.

Lakeland closes out the home portion of its schedule next Saturday when it hosts NACC leader Eureka (Ill.) College at 1 p.m. at Taylor Field.

Muskies by the numbers:
3 - 100-yard rushing games this season for Larry Rivers, including a career-high 162 yards
5 - Sacks by the Lakeland defense, with Albert Journet, Jerry Stokes, Chase Mitchell and Washington Vivanco all contributing to the sack total
7.6 - Yards per rush attempt in 65 rushes for the Muskies on Saturday
11 - Pass breakups each by freshmen cornerbacks Rayshion Brumfield and Paul Saucedo, who are tied for the lead in the NACC in that category
15 - Career high for tackles set by Diante Moses
30 - Percent of third downs converted by Benedictine, which was successful on just six of 20 attempts
33:03 - Time of possession for Lakeland
84.9 - Percentage of Lakeland offensive plays that have been runs over the last two weeks
106 - Career-high rushing total for Michael Moreau, who topped 100 yards for the first time as a Muskie Saturday
145 - Career-high rushing total for Charl'Tez Nunnery, who topped 100 yards for the second straight week
844 - Rushing yards for the Muskies over the last two weeks