DE PERE, Wis. – Lakeland University outgained its opponent for the third time in four games this season but the growing pains and frustrating end results continued with a 35-12 loss to St. Norbert College Saturday afternoon at Schneider Stadium.

Robby Michael (Fr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) accounted for 322 yards of offense and Gabriel Maynes (Jr.-El Paso, Texas) and Caleb Besaw (Fr.-Conroe, Texas) both scored their first collegiate touchdowns. The Green Knights scored 21 unanswered points in the first half to take control, though, and the Muskies dropped to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference this season.

Lakeland outgained St. Norbert 394-376 and also held a 26-21 advantage in first downs in the game. The Muskies put together touchdown drives of 15 and 14 plays, but also came up empty on four more drives of at least eight plays and were held scoreless in the second half for the second straight week.

St. Norbert (2-1 overall, 1-0 NACC) put up less yardage but was efficient and nearly error-free on offense. The Green Knights scored touchdowns on five of their first eight drives, took a knee on a sixth at the end of the first half and saw their last drive end on a missed field goal with just over a minute left and the outcome essentially decided. The hosts also converted 6 of 9 third downs and dominated time of possession in the second half with the lead.

The Muskies got on the board first late in the first quarter, with Michael directing a 15-play, 82-yard drive. The drive stayed alive with an 11-yard pass from Michael to Devin Martin (So.-Conyers, Ga.) on 4th-and-8, and Lakeland scored two plays later when Maynes scampered in five yards out for his first touchdown and a 6-0 lead.

St. Norbert would respond, scoring touchdowns on its next three possessions, all in similar fashion. The Green Knights scored on drives of 71, 63 and 67 yards, and a big pass play started all three drives, including quarterback Richie Gilles hitting Cameron Krueger for 39 yards to start the first.

SNC scored on short touchdown runs on the first two drives, with John Trinh scoring from two yards out to end the first quarter and then Delton Zuleger running three yards for a 14-6 lead early in the second. The Green Knights then capitalized after an interception ended a Lakeland drive deep into the hosts territory, needing six plays to go 67 yards with Gilles connecting with Parker Lawrence for an eight-yard touchdown.

The Muskies answered with a 14-play, 73-yard drive to score just before halftime. On 3rd-and-goal from the St. Norbert 5, Michael escaped out of trouble in the pocket, rolled out right and fired to Besaw, who made a sliding catch in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown and drawing Lakeland within 21-12 at halftime.

St. Norbert received the second half kickoff, though, and needed just seven plays to go 65 yards and extend the lead, with Gilles throwing a 21-yard touchdown pass to Parker Lawrence, who caught the ball despite blanket coverage from Markese Collins (Fr.-Phenix City, Ala.). The Muskies moved the ball on their next two drives but were kept off the board on both, including a drive ending on downs at the SNC 21.

The Green Knights would then stretch out the lead and shorten the game with an 11-play, 79-yard drive taking nearly seven minutes. Gilles ran it in from four yards out for a 35-12 lead, and after another promising Muskies drive stalled out in St. Norbert territory the Green Knights salted it away by hogging the ball for 6:22 on a nine-play, 46-yard drive that ended with a missed field goal with just over a minute left.

Michael completed 20 of 30 passes for 240 yards and his first collegiate touchdown pass to Besaw. He also led the Muskies in rushing with 23 carries for 82 yards.

Besaw caught six passes for 77 yards and Martin added five grabs for 56 yards. Devon Harris (So.-Milwaukee, Wis.) also rushed for 43 yards.

Matt Glogowski (So.-San Diego, Calif.) posted a career-high eight tackles and Jayden Tarver (So.-Phenix City, Ala.) added seven tackles to lead the Lakeland defense, but other than a sack by Karlis Ozols (Jr.-Fond du Lac, Wis.), the Muskies came up short on plays to disrupt the Green Knight, with no turnovers forced, one sack and just three tackles for loss.

Gilles completed 11 of 17 passes for 215 yards for St. Norbert, which ran 23 less plays than the Muskies but gained 215 yards in the air and 161 yards on the ground. Zuleger rushed 19 times for 99 yards and Trinh added 16 carries for 54 yards.

Lakeland is idle next Saturday and next is in action Oct. 8 when it hosts Benedictine University at 1 p.m. at Taylor Field.