MONTGOMERY, Ill. – Sean Kerr made a 35-yard field goal in overtime and Aurora University followed with a goal line stand on defense to defeat Lakeland University 25-22 in both teams' season finale Saturday afternoon at Spartan Athletic Park.

The Spartans stopped Lakeland a yard short of the end zone on 4th-and-goal from the two at the end of overtime, completing a comeback from 16 points down by scoring the final 19 points of the game. Aurora also defeated the Muskies for the first time since 2012 and finished ahead of Lakeland in the final Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference standings.

The Muskies (4-6 overall, 4-3 NACC) entered the day with an outside chance at a fifth straight NACC title and fourth consecutive NCAA Division III playoff berth. Lakeland's chances at both were extinguished when Eureka College defeated Rockford University 38-7 to wrap up the NACC championship and its automatic berth to the Division III playoffs.

Lakeland still had the opportunity to finish in a tie for second in the conference and appeared in good shape to do just that in the middle of the third quarter when it took a 22-6 lead. Paul Saucedo (Fr.-Georgetown, Texas) picked off his team-high fifth pass of the season and returned the interception 32 yards for a touchdown, and a two-point conversion run by Michael Moreau (Sr.-Crown Point, Ind.) put the Muskies up by 16 with 8:25 left in the third quarter.

The Spartans (5-5 overall, 5-2 NACC) bounced right back, though, scoring two touchdowns and adding a pair of two-point conversions to tie the game by the end of the quarter. Aurora first scored by driving 63 yards in nine plays with Halen Miller barreling in from three yards out, and then Gavin Zimbelman hit Sean Mullen for two points to make it 22-14.

Aurora then got a turnover of its own on Lakeland's next drive, as Kam Ryan intercepted Charl'Tez Nunnery (So.-Liberty, Mo.) and returned it 45 yards down to the Muskies 23, and the Spartans scored four plays later when Tyran Bailey rushed two yards for a score. Zimbelman then connected with Danny Logiurato for two to make it 22-22 at the end of the third quarter.

Lakeland and Aurora both drove into the others' territory once in the fourth quarter before their penetrations ended just inside the 35-yard line, and the Muskies ground out the final 2:57 of regulation to send the game to overtime. The Spartans had possession first and gained just six yards, but Kerr made the field goal to give the hosts a three-point lead.

Lakeland got off to a good start on its drive when Larry Rivers (So.-Dearborn Heights, Mich.) gained four yards and then Brice Kensey (So.-New Orleans, La.), in at quarterback for Nunnery, gained 16 yards down to the Spartans 5. The Muskies had four cracks with goal to go, but three runs by Rivers gained only three yards, and his fourth down run from the two was stopped a yard short to end it.

Both teams did most of their work on the ground but saw the going tough, with Lakeland outgaining Aurora 318 to 281. The Muskies rushed for 267 yards, including Rivers gaining 131 yards on 23 carries with two scores.

The sophomore scored on a one-yard run in the first quarter, and Nunnery's two-point conversion run put Lakeland ahead 8-6. Rivers also broke free for a 45-yard touchdown in the second quarter, and he finished the season with 980 yards rushing, the fifth-most in a season in Lakeland history and just missing out on becoming the fifth 1,000-yard rusher in a season in Muskies history.

Moreau also added 15 carries for 85 yards and Kensey rushed for 45 yards. In the air, the Muskies threw the ball just nine times, with Nunnery completing 4 of 7 passes for 51 yards, most of the yards coming on a 39-yard pass to Rivers.

The Lakeland defense received a heavy dose of Aurora's Bailey, who set a school single-game rushing record a week earlier and this time ran 37 times for 180 yards. The Muskies limited the Spartans through the air, though, allowing just 90 yards on 13 completions in 23 pass attempts.

Diante Moses (Sr.-Houston, Texas) finished with 10 tackles, Johnathan Hagerty (So.-Brookville, Ind.) also posted nien tackles and Jerry Stokes (Jr.-Missouri City, Texas) and Andrew Cardiel (Fr.-Needville, Texas) added eight tackles each. Stokes also had two tackles for loss including a sack, and Rayshion Brumfield (Fr.-Ponchatoula, La.) also added an interception and a 51-yard return early in the third quarter, only for Aurora to assume possession again one play later after recovering a Muskies fumble.

The game was the final one for 12 Lakeland seniors, including Moreau, Moses, T.J. Corona (Green Bay, Wis.), Ryan Frahm (Rhinelander, Wis.), Jamal Hawkins-Sconiers (St. James, Mo.), Michael Hilliard (Detroit, Mich.), Cristopher Jackson (Chicago, Ill.), Cedric Logan (Highland Park, Ill.), Ivan Martinez (Custer Park, Ill.), Eldrada Meeks (Sr.-Southfield, Mich.), Chandler Watson (Gurnee, Ill.) and Marcus Williams (Houston, Texas). The four-year members of that group were part of 27 wins as well as three NACC championships and three Division III playoff berths.