About Lakeland: The Muskies begin their 87th season of football and will be looking for improvement after a rare down season. Lakeland finished 3-7 last year, including 3-5 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, despite outgaining its opponents in eight of 10 games. A young team got off to a tough start losing its first five games, including three losses by nine points or less, one coming after Buena Vista rallied from 24 points down with just over a quarter left. The Muskies rebounded to win three of their final five games, including a 70-point explosion in the season finale against Rockford.

Lakeland returns 16 starters from last year, including eight on both sides of the ball. Robby Michael was the NACC Freshman of the Year after passing for 999 yards and rushing for 895 in seven games. The defense is paced by first team all-NACC selection Jayson Wilder, who intercepted four passes last year. Head Coach Colin Bruton also returns for his ninth season leading the program, and the Muskies were picked sixth in the NACC preseason poll of league coaches and sports information directors.

About UW-Platteville: The Pioneers had an up-and-down campaign last year, though the ups were significant in a 5-5 overall record. Platteville's wins included three victories over teams ranked in the NCAA Division III Top 15, but a brutal schedule also included three losses to nationally ranked teams, plus another to NCAA Division II Michigan Tech. UWP finished 4-3 and in a three-way tie for third in the always-tough Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Ryan Munz is back for his second year as head coach after succeeding Mike Emendorfer, the winningest coach in program history who led the Pioneers from 1999-2021. UWP also is an experienced team, returning 18 starters including 10 on defense, where Justin Blazek has received preseason All-America honors from D3football.com. Platteville was picked fifth in the WIAC's preseason poll, and also features a familiar face on its coaching staff, as Lakeland alum and former Muskies assistant Kearstin Schweitzer is in her second year as an assistant with the Pioneers.

Lakeland in season openers: Lakeland is 26-60 all-time in season-opening games. Before last year's loss to Illinois College, the Muskies had won five of their previous seven season debuts, a string of success after losing nine straight openers from 2006-14. Lakeland's record in home openers is quite a bit better-a 37-47-2 mark in its first 86 years of football.

Loaded backfield: Lakeland finished last season ranked seventh nationally in Division III in rushing offense with 268.4 yards per game. This season the Muskies return no fewer than four players who rushed for at least 100 yards in a game. Michael rushed for at least 112 yards in five of his seven games with a high of 232 yards against Concordia Chicago. Jatron Bevly set a new school single-game record with 343 yards rushing against Buena Vista, and Devon Harris rushed for 173, 172 and 146 in three consecutive games in the second half of last season. Lakeland's depth has even resulted in senior Gabriel Maynes moving to defensive back this season, after Mayne rushed for a career-high 109 yards and two touchdowns against Rockford in the season finale. 

The Muskies also will feature a familiar name in their backfield this season. Freshman Hassan Rivers is the brother of Larry Rivers, Lakeland's all-time leading rusher with 4,557 yards from 2017-21 and holder of the school's single-season rushing mark as well of 1,521 yards in 2021.

Experienced O-Line, second level on D: Lakeland also will bring back an experienced offensive line on offense as well as a seasoned linebacking corps on defense. The Muskies return four of five starters on the offensive line, and Jeremiah Jones, Asa Spindler, Gabriel Vela and Zach Welnetz have combined to start 59 games in their careers, including Jones and Welnetz as three-year starters. The fifth starter is Lucas Diedrich, a three-year member of the team who appeared regularly on the line on placement kicks last year and also played some as a reserve on the line.

The linebacking group of Charles Kobe, Karlis Ozols and Leondre Townsend also returns in tact. The three combined to start 29 of a possible 30 games last year, and Kobe and Ozols also were 1-2 on the team in tackles for loss with 10.5 and 9.5, respectively.