PLYMOUTH, Wis. – The Lakeland University football team put a season of near misses behind it with a clutch performance in its finale to cap a strong finish to the season, defeating St. Norbert College 35-25 Saturday afternoon at John Taylor Memorial Field.

The Muskies sent their seniors off with a satisfying win and finished winning their final three games to complete their campaign at 4-6 overall and 4-4 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. Lakeland also defeated St. Norbert for just the second time and the second time in five years of the two being conference rivals, and with the victory earned the 400th win all-time in program history.

The Muskies time and again made big plays against the Green Knights offensively and defensively in erasing the bitter taste of a 55-13 loss to St. Norbert on the road last year.

Lakeland once again moved the ball almost at will, gaining 520 yards of offense including 301 yards passing and 219 yards rushing. The Muskies again dominated the first half to the tune of a 28-3 halftime lead, and quarterbacks Robby Michael (Sr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) and Cy Lumbano-Larson (So.-San Tan Valley, Ariz.) combined to throw four touchdown passes in the game, including a huge step-up moment for Lakeland's backup QB on the first drive of the game.

Michael left the game after two plays after injuring an ankle on a 9-yard run, but Lumbano-Larson came in to complete a pass to Mason Motquin (So.-Forestville, Wis.) for a first down on 3rd-and-1, hit Motquin for a 37-yard pass over the middle to get into St. Norbert territory. He then on 3rd-and-11 lofted a pass that Deshawn Hampton (Jr.-Hazel Crest, Ill.) hauled down in the back of the end zone for a touchdown, Lumbano-Larson's first collegiate touchdown pass.

The Muskies defense also shut down the Green Knights, allowing 252 yards, including 88 yards through the air. Lakeland bent at times but didn't break, intercepting SNC twice and stopping three other drives on downs. Two of the visitors' three touchdowns were scored from close range, after taking over inside the Lakeland 15-yard line on a pair of drives in the third quarter.

St. Norbert appeared ready to answer the Muskies' opening touchdown in the first quarter with one of their own, using a clear plan to run the ball feeding running back Jacob McVane and driving 64 yards in eight plays down to the Lakeland 1-yard line. The Muskies stuffed McVane on a pair of dives up the middle, though, and the Green Knights then botched a snap on 3rd-and-goal from the 1, the first of a host of missed snaps for the guests on the day and resulting in settling for a 25-yard field goal by Tyler Juergensen to make it 7-3.

Lakeland would go on to dominate the rest of the first half on the way to a 28-3 halftime lead. Another wayward snap covered up in the end zone gave the Muskies a safety and a 9-3 lead late in the first quarter, and Lakeland needed just four plays after the free kick to score as Michael, back in the game after missing the end of the opening drive, threw a 46-yard bomb to Caden Kleparski (So.-Colby, Wis.) behind the defense to make it 15-3.

St. Norbert's next drive showed some promise but ended when Zelmarious Banks (Fr.-Fort Wayne, Ind.) intercepted a Michael Meneguzzo pass inside the red zone, his NACC-leading seventh pick of the season. The Muskies then delivered a statement with a 15-play, 90-yard drive capped by Michael hitting Hampton for a 17-yard touchdown and a 22-3 lead midway through the second quarter.

Trayvonne Roberts (Jr.-Lynwood, Ill.) was then next with a big defensive play, intercepting Meneguzzo to stop another St. Norbert drive. Lakeland then added another score before the halftime buzzer, as on 2nd-and-goal from the SNC 1 on the final play of the half, Jontae Lambert (Fr.-Fort Wayne, Ind.) was initially stopped but before going down lateraled back to Michael, who darted in two yards for the touchdown.

The Green Knights briefly got back into the game in the third quarter with two touchdowns in a span of 21 seconds to suddenly the Muskies' 28-3 lead much more tenuous at 28-17. McVane scored on runs of two and five yards, the first following a blocked punt and the second after an interception brought back deep into Lakeland territory.

The Muskies responded with an eight-play, 80-yard march that included runs of 15 and then 20 yards by Lambert, who gained 133 yards on 13 carries for his third straight 100-yard game to finish the season. The drive appeared dead when a third down sack gave Lakeland 4th-and-14 from the SNC 28, but Michael found Jaden Davis (Fr.-Wentzville, Mo.) near the back of the end zone and the Muskies extended their lead back to 35-17.

The Green Knights would score one more time, with Fernando Rodriguez completing a 30-yard touchdown pass and also a two-point conversion pass both to Bailey Turenne. Hampton recovered an ensuing onside kick attempt, though, and Lakeland ran out the final 4:54 including a 4th-and-5 conversion for six yards from Michael to Kleparski, the Muskies' sixth conversion in eight fourth down attempts on the day.

Michael finished the day completing 19 of 36 passes for 229 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 60 yards. The senior finished his career with a school-record 11,614 yards of total offense and also ranks second all-time in rushing yards (3,478), third in passing yards (8,136), completions (628) and passing touchdowns (63) as well as sixth in total touchdowns scored (38) and points scored (228).

Kleparski and Motquin both caught five passes for 74 and 73 yards, respectively. Hampton added four catches for 56 yards and two touchdowns and Davis and Jeremy Kobe (Sr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) caught three balls each, Davis for 51 yards and Kobe for 22 yards.

Austin Mulingbayan (Fr.-Skokie, Ill.) led the defense with seven tackles (six solo, one assisted), with 2.5 tackles for loss including a sack, plus another tackle on fourth down to half a St. Norbert drive. Roberts, Markese Collins (Sr.-Phenix City, Ala.), Shamond Oliver (Sr.-Phenix City, Ala.) and Norrye Evans (Fr.-Chicago, Ill.) also all added seven tackles each.

McVane finished rushing 27 times for 193 yards for St. Norbert, but quarterbacks Meneguzzo and Rodriguez combined to complete just 10 of 18 passes for 80 yards.

Lakeland finished the season outgaining its opponents in nine of 10 games, averaging 491.8 yards per game while holding opponents to 325.4 yards a contest. The Muskies also held their last four opponents to a combined 426 yards, and held seven of 10 opponents below 150 yards passing.