PLYMOUTH, Wis. – A showdown for first place in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference lived up to billing most of the way, but Aurora University pulled away with two touchdowns late as the Lakeland University football team fell 38-20 Saturday afternoon at Taylor Field.

The Muskies won the yardage battle and had possession with a chance to take the lead early in the fourth quarter, but turnovers and missed opportunities proved costly on a sunny, windy Senior Day for 18 seniors. The Spartans won their seventh straight game to clinch the NACC regular season title and the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs, while Lakeland dropped to 7-2 overall, 5-2 in conference and will finish its season next week on the road at Rockford University.

A heavyweight battle saw both teams move the ball successfully and both strike blows to stagger the opponent for periods of time. In the end it was Aurora's ground attack and Lakeland's missed chances that were the difference in a game that ebbed and flowed in favor of both teams at various times.

Aurora rushed for 329 yards in the game and in particular ran, ran, and ran some more in the second half, with 33 of its 35 plays and all 220 of its yards in the final 30 minutes via the run. It paid off in the fourth quarter especially, when the Spartans scored a pair of touchdowns to open the lead back up after the Muskies had closed within 26-20 in the third quarter.

Aurora finished the game holding an advantage of more than ten minutes (35:11 to 24:49) in time of possession. The Spartans gained 477 yards led by Tyran Bailey rushing for 213 yards and also converted 8 of 13 third downs, the latter a key in the guests' advantage in time of possession.

Lakeland matched or exceeded Aurora in a number of offensive areas. The Muskies rolled up 499 yards of offense and 27 first downs, one less than the Spartans. Lakeland was balanced with 255 yards rushing and 244 passing, including quarterback Charl'Tez Nunnery (Sr.-Liberty, Miss.) rushing for a career-high 157 yards, often finding huge holes in the Aurora defense, and the offense was especially key in the first quarter as the Muskies punched Aurora in the mouth with consecutive touchdowns to take an early 13-0 lead.

Lakeland's chances took a serious blow in the second quarter, with interceptions on three consecutive possessions. Two of those came in the end zone after driving deep into Spartan territory, and were symptomatic of a host of opportunities where the Muskies got close but couldn't cash in, with four drives ending inside the Aurora 30 without points.

Lakeland's best string of possessions came in the first quarter, where two long touchdown drives were sandwiched around a big defensive stop.

The Muskies took the opening kickoff and needed six plays and just over two minutes to drive 85 yards for an opening score. Nunnery hit Mason Prunick (Sr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) for 33 yards to start the drive and soon after unleashed a beautiful spiral into a stiff wind to Brice Kensey (Sr.-New Orleans, La.) for a 39-yard touchdown and a quick 6-0 lead.

The Lakeland defense then forced Aurora into something it hasn't had to do much this season in conference play: punt. D'Jimon Stuckey (So.-Cypress, Texas) sacked quarterback Gavin Zimbelman for a 16-yard loss on third down, resulting in the Spartans' first punt of the day and just ninth in a NACC game this year. The Muskies capitalized by driving 85 yards again, this time in 12 plays. Nunnery and Larry Rivers (Sr.-Dearborn Heights, Mich.) did most of the work, accounting for 69 yards rushing, and Nunnery finished it with a 16-yard run up the middle to make it 13-0 with 5:46 left in the first quarter.

Aurora responded with 26 straight points, scoring touchdowns on four of its next five drives. Included was a short six-play, 28-yard drive to take the lead after the Muskies mishandled a kickoff and were backed up to their own goal line, and then a quick kick punt traveled just 18 yards to give the Spartans prime field position. Coupled with the Lakeland turnovers in the second quarter, the Spartans took a 26-13 lead into halftime despite the Muskies holding a 322-257 advantage in yardage over the first 30 minutes.

The Lakeland defense stiffened in the third quarter, forcing three straight punts, and the Muskies drew closer after the second stop with an 11-play, 87-yard drive capped by Nunnery throwing to Kensey on an out route that he hauled in, getting his foot down just inside the sideline for his second TD catch of the day.

Nunnery took a hit while sliding after a run late in the drive, and he would not return after the touchdown pass. Lakeland would struggle on its next two drives, and the Spartans took advantage both times, running every play on an 11-play, 71-yard drive to go ahead 32-20 and then taking over on downs with a short field and scoring on a 23-yard jet sweep by Trey Madsen for their final score. The Muskies would drive one more time deep into Aurora's end with backup quarterback Lane Sobieski (Jr.-Berlin, Wis.) leading an 80-yard drive that ended on downs inside the Spartans' 10-yard line.

Nunnery completed 13 of 26 passes for 196 yards and Sobieski completed 5 of 11 for 48 yards in relief. Kensey caught 10 passes for 156 yards and Kolby Cohen (Fr.-Missouri City, Texas) added three catches for 49 yards.

Aurora was able to limit Rivers more than any team this season, holding him to 93 yards on 22 carries, his first game below 100 yards this season. He also was held without a touchdown, keeping him one short of Pat Curran's Lakeland single-season record of 21 touchdowns in 1967 and 1968.

Shazon Crutcher (Sr.-Lansing, Mich.) led the Lakeland defense with 13 tackles (11 solo) and both Ezekiel Combs (Sr.-East Point, Ga.) and Leondre Townsend (So.-Menomonee Falls, Wis.) added eight tackles each.

A total of 18 seniors played their final home games for the Muskies, including Combs, Crutcher, Kensey, Nunnery, Prunick and Rivers. Other seniors honored before the game included Rayshion Brumfield (Ponchatoula, La.), Damarious Brown (Memphis, Tenn.), Andrew Cardiel (Needville, Texas), Andrew Colley (Gadsden, Ala.), Zach Cotton (Macon, Ga.), Avery Luckett (Milwaukee, Wis.), Joseph Pegues (Memphis, Tenn.), Jaylen Rido (Houston, Texas), Elijah Santiago (Milwaukee, Wis.), Trevion Smith (Griffin, Ga.), D.J. Tomlinson (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Otis Watts (Chicago, Ill.).

The Muskies wrap up their season at Rockford next Saturday at noon. Lakeland with a win can still clinch an eight-win season and its best season winning percentage since finishing 8-2 in 2003.