LISLE, Ill. – Benedictine University struck the last blow on the scoreboard in a game of back-and-forth and the Lakeland University football team fell 34-26 Saturday afternoon in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference contest.

The Muskies lost their second straight and for the third time on the road in Illinois in NACC play. Lakeland dropped to 4-5 overall and is 3-3 in conference with one final game remaining against conference champion Aurora University next Saturday.

The Muskies' chances for a share of the NACC crown ended when Aurora routed Wisconsin Lutheran College 62-7 on Saturday. Lakeland still could've played into a tie for second with a win against the Eagles, but for the second straight week played from behind almost the entire game.

Benedictine (6-3 overall, 5-1 NACC) and Lakeland alternated scores the entire game, but the Eagles scored first and last, the final score coming on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Jernagin to Ben Moore with 13 minutes, 7 seconds left in the game.

Still trailing by just one score, the Muskies drove into the red zone on both of their drives in the fourth quarter, but for the second straight game missed opportunities to punch it in near the goal line.

Lakeland first went 68 yards in 13 plays but saw a drive stopped on downs at the Benedictine 5-yard line on downs. The Muskies got the ball back with 3:27 left after forcing a punt, and in 11 plays drove 68 yards once again, getting down to the Eagles' 12 with less than a minute left. A first down pass by Logan O'Neill (Sr.-Spokane Valley, Wash.) was intercepted in the end zone, though, ending Lakeland's final chance.

O'Neill got the start for injured quarterback Charl'Tez Nunnery (Jr.-Liberty, Miss.) and completed 19 of 38 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown, hitting Jaylen Rido (So.-Houston, Texas) for a 1-yard score in the first quarter.

Larry Rivers (Jr.-Dearborn Heights, Mich.) also rushed 28 times for 111 yards and a touchdown in his sixth 100-yard game of the season. His 10-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left in the first half was followed by O'Neill connecting with Mason Prunick (Jr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) for the two-point conversion, tying the score at 20-20 at halftime.

Dezmon Eddie (Sr.-Alexandria, La.) also rushed 10 times for 84 yards and two touchdowns, a 15-yard run in the first quarter and a 24-yard dash in the third that drew the Muskies within 27-26. Eddie also caught a team-high seven passes for 48 yards, while Chris Bustamante (Sr.-El Paso, Texas) added four catches for 36 yards and Prunick caught three passes for 95 yards, including a 70-yard pass from O'Neill after Lakeland was backed up at its own 1-yard line in the second quarter. That drive also ended on downs at the Eagles' 25-yard line, one of four drives that ended inside Benedictine's 31-yard line.

The teams combined for 50 first downs-25 by each team-and 944 yards of total offense, including 503 for Benedictine. The Eagles gained 337 yards through the air, including touchdown passes of 59 and 32 yards by Jarnagin.

Andrew Cardiel (So.-Needville, Texas) led the Lakeland defense with 11 tackles (six solo, five assisted). Ezekiel Combs (Jr.-East Point, Ga.) added 10 tackles (six solo, four assisted).

Lakeland closes out its season at home next Saturday against Aurora for a 6 p.m. kickoff under the lights at Taylor Field.