The series between the Muskies and Falcons began in 1980 and has been played every season since, including the 2020-21 season when both teams played limited schedules in the spring due to the COVID-19 virus. Lakeland has won seven of the last nine in the series, but Concordia won the most recent meeting with a 30-20 victory last year Oct. 22, 2022 in Mequon. The Muskies had won the previous three meetings, including a 49-32 win in the last matchup at Taylor Field Oct. 23, 2021, as Charl'Tez Nunnery passed for four touchdowns and Brice Kensey caught 17 passes for 180 yards.

Cheese Bowl: Lakeland and Concordia also are playing for the Cheese Bowl trophy for the 32nd time. The Cheese Bowl originated in 1992 as a traveling trophy for the winner of the two teams' annual game when they were the lone two Wisconsin members of the old Illini-Badger Football Conference. Lakeland and Concordia were conference rivals in the IBFC from 1980 through its final year in 2007, when both joined the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference for football. Concordia leads the Cheese Bowl series 16-15, taking the trophy back last year after Lakeland won the previous three games in the series.

Lakeland last time out: Won at Buena Vista (Iowa) 34-16 Saturday
The Muskies rebounded from a loss to UW-Platteville in their opener to defeat the Beavers for the first time. Lakeland gained 559 yards of offense and scored touchdowns on three of its first four possessions, and the defense shut out Buena Vista in the second half. Robby Michael passed for 299 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for 129 yards, and Caleb Besaw caught six passes for a career-high 100 yards. Matt Glogowski led the defense with a career-high nine tackles and Charles Kobe added an interception and two tackles for loss.

Concordia last time out: Lost at Northwestern (Minn.) 26-10 last week
The Falcons fell in their second and final non-conference game of the season on the road in the Twin Cities. Northwestern built a 14-0 lead with touchdowns in the second and third quarters before Evan Lischka returned a fumble 20 yards for CUW's touchdown. Nick Klein then booted a 29-yard field goal to draw Concordia within 16-10, but the Eagles would kick a field goal with 1:07 left and then added their own fumble return for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff. The Falcons struggled offensively with 235 total yards and just 11 first downs, including 27 yards rushing on 21 attempts. Michael Purkey completed 15 of 25 passes for 133 yards and two interceptions.

About the Falcons: Concordia enters with the same 1-1 record on the season as Lakeland, having won its opener 55-14 over Martin Luther (Minn.). The Falcons dominated the Knights, building a 34-0 lead early in the third quarter behind three touchdown passes by Purkey and two TD runs by Ashar Thomas.

Concordia finished 8-3 a year ago and tied for second in the NACC with a 6-2 league mark. CUW posted its fifth straight winning season overall and played in the first-ever Lakefront Bowl, falling to Monmouth (Ill.) 45-20 in a postseason game in Milwaukee matching runner-up teams from the NACC and Midwest Conference. CUW is coached by Greg Etter, in his 16th year as head coach with 74 career wins at the school.

Outgaining the opponent again: Lakeland gained 559 yards of offense against Buena Vista last week, reaching a number it has tapped frequently in recent years. The Muskies have gained at least 500 yards in a game 15 times since the start of the 2019 season, including five times in each of the previous two seasons in 2021 and 2022. Lakeland also outgained Buena Vista last week, continuing a stretch of more than four years now where the Muskies' offense has typically moved the ball better than its opponents. Over its last 40 games, Lakeland has outgained its opponents 32 times, including in eight of 10 games last year when the Muskies finished 3-7.

First interception: Senior linebacker Charles Kobe intercepted a pass to end Buena Vista's final drive last week, and the pick was the first in his career. Kobe is in his fourth year with the Muskies and has had a career with his share of big plays, including leading the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries last year. Kobe also in 2021 had a record-setting performance against Eureka, blocking three punts to tie the NCAA Division III record for blocked punts in a game.

Over 100 again: Robby Michael rushed for 134 yards against Buena Vista, putting him over 1,000 yards rushing in his short Lakeland career. Michael also has made 100-yard games a regular habit with the Muskies, and his yardage total last week marked his sixth 100-yard rushing game in nine games played in his collegiate career so far. Michael has topped at least 130 yards in five of those six games, and he also reached another high last week, with his 299 yards passing his most in a game so far as a collegian.