Live video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2RxYKx7V7o
Live statistics: http://eurekareddevils.com/sports/fball/2021-22/boxscores/20211030_of3r.xml

Series: 48th meeting, Lakeland leads 33-13-1
The series between the Muskies and Red Devils has a long history, one that was renewed after an 11-year absence a couple years ago and has since added two colorful chapters since Eureka joined the NACC in 2018. The last two games have been shootouts, including the most recent Nov. 2, 2019 when Eureka held off Lakeland 50-49 in Illinois to snap the Muskies' 13-game winning streak in the series. The year before Lakeland won a wild one, edging the Red Devils 56-55 at Taylor Field as Michael Moreau scored the go-ahead touchdown with 56 seconds left in the game. The score capped a rally from a 21-0 deficit just 3:44 into the contest and gave Lakeland its first lead of the game, and the Muskies held on after Eureka scored a touchdown with 18 seconds left but missed an ensuing two-point conversion attempt to take the lead.

The two teams met every year except for one from 1962-2007, missing only 1979, and the two were members together of the Illini-Badger Football Conference from 1976-2007 and also the Gateway Conference in the 1960s. Only Benedictine (53 meetings) and Concordia Chicago (52) have played Lakeland more than Eureka's 47 times.

Lakeland last time out: Defeated Concordia Wisconsin 49-32 last week
The Muskies came back from a 20-7 deficit after one quarter, scoring 28 points in the second quarter on the way to winning the 30th annual Cheese Bowl game and keeping the trophy for the third straight year. Charl'Tez Nunnery passed for 336 yards and four touchdowns and added a rushing touchdown, Brice Kensey tied a school record with 17 catches and totaled 180 yards receiving and Mason Prunick added six catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Larry Rivers also rushed for 158 yards and notched a 4,000/1,000 double in the game (more below), and the defense was led by Otis Watts with five tackles for loss including three sacks plus interceptions by Rayshion Brumfield and Ezekiel Combs.

Eureka last time out: Lost at Wisconsin Lutheran 68-41 last week
The Red Devils scored plenty of points but got few stops in falling to the Warriors on the road Saturday. Wisconsin Lutheran scored 21 first quarter points and led 55-19 at one point, piling up 603 yards of offense an scoring touchdowns on 10 of its 13 drives. Ben Bernabei did all he could to keep Eureka in the game with 161 yards rushing and five touchdowns in his first collegiate start. Lukas Tinkham also passed for 320 yards and Sebastian HIll (149 yards) and Malek Folston (114) both finished with over 100 yards receiving. but three turnovers including two interceptions kept the Red Devils from keeping up with WLC.

About the Red Devils: Eureka is 2-6 this season and has especially struggled defensively, allowing 48.5 points per game, 233rd of 240 NCAA Division III teams, including at least 41 points in all but one of its games. The Red Devils have put up solid numbers offensively, averaging 31.0 points per game, and receivers Pierce Bradford (584 yards) and Sebastian Hill (502) both rank in the top six in the NACC in receiving yards.

Head coach Kurt Barth is in his 13th year at Eureka and is the winningest coach in program history with 60 victories. The Red Devils have been competitive in the NACC since joining the conference, including winning the conference championship in their first year in 2018, tying for third in 2019 and going 2-3 in the spring in the NACC's abbreviated 2020-21 spring season.

High-flying, efficient offense: Lakeland enters as one of the most prolific offenses in Division III this season, ranking sixth in the country in total offense (518.4 yards per game), eighth in scoring offense (47.1 points per game) and ninth in first downs (179). The Muskies also are balanced, ranking in the top 30 in both rushing yards per game (22nd with 235.6 ypg) and passing (29th, 282.9 ypg). Lakeland also has been excellent on third down, ranking 28th nationally with a 47.2% conversion rate.

Otis and the defense bring it: Muskies defensive end Otis Watts continued to be one of the top pass rushers in the country against Concordia with three more sacks to bring his season total to 10. The senior from Chicago easily leads the NACC in sacks and is tied for second nationally in Division III in sacks and tied for third in sacks per game (1.43). He also paces the NACC with 14 tackles for loss on the season, a number also ranking among the top 25 in Division III.

Watts is not the only Lakeland defender among the national individual leaders, as Rayshion Brumfield is tied for first in D-III in passes defensed per game (2.0). The two are also part of a defense that collectively continues to rank among the most disruptive in Division III. Lakeland is tied for the lead in the country in fumbles recovered (10) and is second nationally in turnovers gained with 26, behind only Alma (Mich.) with 31. The Muskies also are second in sacks per game (4.14), third in interceptions (16) and fourth in total sacks (29). Lakeland's four defensive touchdowns is also tied for the second most in the country.

Muskies kicker/pitcher chasing a record: Sophomore place kicker Peyton Domangue has given Lakeland one of its best kicking threats in years, converting 37 of 43 point after touchdown attempts this season. He also is on pace to shatter the Muskies' single-season record for most PATs made, as he is ten successful kicks short of tying Peter Cebulka's record of 47 point after kicks made in 1996. Also a pitcher on the Lakeland baseball team in the spring, Domangue already is tied with Chris Irvin (2005) for the fifth-most PATs made in a season.

4,000/1,000: Lakeland running back Larry Rivers hit two big milestone in the first half Saturday against Concordia Wisconsin, including becoming the first Muskie ever to rush for 4,000 yards in a career. Rivers also topped the 1,000-yard mark for the season, the seventh 1,000-yard season in school history, and he became the first Lakeland player to reach that mark in two different seasons. His 1,088 yards this season is already the fourth-most in a season in school history, and he is in reach of his single-season record of 1,375 yards set in 2019.

Rivers continues to be one of the most productive all-around backs in all of Division III, including tying for the national lead touchdowns (17) and points scored (102) this season and ranking second in the country in all-purpose yards per game. His 188.1 yards rushing and receiving per contest is behind only the 196.4 yards of Devontae Jordan of Emory & Henry (Va.). Rivers also is second in D-III in points per game (14.6), leads the NACC and ranks fourth in Division III in total rushing yards, and he is one of just six backs in D-III to have already rushed for 1,000 yards. He also is fourth in total rushing yards and rushing yards per game (155.3)