Aurora is the longest-running opponent in Lakeland football history, with the series between the two schools dating back to the Muskies' first season in 1934. The Spartans have won the last five meetings, including a 70-14 victory last season in Illinois as Aurora broke the game open with 28 points in the second quarter. The last meeting at Taylor Field was much closer, as the Spartans earned a 38-20 victory at Lakeland Nov. 6, 2021, pulling with the final 12 points of the game in the fourth quarter after the Muskies first built a 13-0 lead, then fell behind 26-13 before closing back within six. Before Aurora's current winning streak in the series, Lakeland had won the previous five meetings, with its last win a 47-38 victory at Aurora Oct. 28, 2017. Until COVID-19 affected the 2020-21 season, the teams had met for 22 consecutive years after a 47-year break in the series, a result of Aurora dropping football in 1952 and not reinstating the sport until 1986.

Lakeland last time out: Won at Eureka 49-8 Oct. 11
The Muskies were idle last week, their scheduled break in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference schedule, but in their last game posted their most convincing win of the season, hammering the Red Devils on the road on a Friday night. Lakeland rolled up 659 yards of offense, surrendered just 242 yards, and exploded for 28 points in the third quarter to build a 42-0 lead. Robby Michael threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, and seven different players scored touchdowns in the game. The defense held Eureka to -11 yards rushing, Jake Leclaire finished with five tackles for loss including two sacks, and Shamond Oliver returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown. A total of 11 different players caught a pass and seven different players ran the ball in the Muskies' most one-sided victory since a 70-21 win over Rockford in the 2022 season finale.

Aurora last time out: Defeated Rockford 69-0 last week
The Spartans rolled up 700 yards of offense on their Homecoming in a blowout of the Regents. Aurora won its 43rd straight NACC game, a streak dating back to 2018, pulling away with 27 points in the second quarter to take a 41-0 halftime lead. Brian Nasr made his first start at quarterback and completed 16 of 21 passes for 311 yards and four touchdowns, including an 88-yard touchdown to Steven Gonzalez. Zackery Russell rushed for 89 yards, one of four Spartan backs to gain at least 62 yards in the game and Andrew Nordland intercepted two passes, two of Aurora's five interceptions of Rockford QB Jalen Ray.

About the Spartans: Aurora has dominated the NACC in recent years with five straight conference championships and the league's last four trips to the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Spartans have been in the national polls all season and this week are No. 15 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NCAA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll and 16th in the D3football.com Top 25 Poll.

Aurora is again coached by Don Beebe, who played in the NFL for nine seasons, including in 1996-97 for the Packers, and was a member of Green Bay's Super Bowl XXXI champions team. Beebe quickly built Aurora into the standard in the NACC, and the Spartans have advanced in the Division III playoffs each of the last two years, including to the national quarterfinals in 2022.

Long road back: Lakeland opened the season with a 65-0 loss to a UW-Platteville team now ranked No. 8 in Division III, which makes it fairly impressive that the Muskies enter Saturday with an even point differential on the season. Lakeland has scored 188 points and given up 188 points, and its 37.6 points per game is second-best in the NACC to Aurora. The Muskies 466.4 yards per game also ranks second in the NACC to Aurora and 22nd nationally.

Quarterback Robby Michael also continues to rank among the D-III leaders in a number of statistical categories, including No. 3 in total offense averaging 352.8 yards/game. He also is in the top 40 in rushing yards/game (17th, 111.6) and passing yards/game (33rd, 241.2) and is ninth in points responsible for/game (22.8). Against Eureka he also moved into fifth on the Muskies' all-time list for total offense, now with 6,652 yards rushing and passing in his career.

More opportunistic D: Shamond Oliver's interception returned for a touchdown at Eureka was the Muskies' third defensive TD this season and third in two games, after Justin McMahon and Charles Kobe both performed the feat a week earlier against Benedictine. Lakealnd is tied with Aurora and St. Norbert for the lead in the NACC in defensive touchdowns and is tied for eighth nationally in Division III, one behind seven teams sharing the lead with four.

Many reaching end zone: Seven different players scored touchdowns against Eureka, including Jamel Britt, Jeremy Kobe, Cy Lumbano-Larson and Shamond Oliver all scoring their first career touchdowns for Lakeland. In just five games, a total of 15 different players have scored points this season for the Muskies, including 14 scoring touchdowns, and that is already more than the 12 players to score and 10 to produce TDs last season through all 10 games.