EUREKA, Ill. – Lakeland University held Eureka College to 122 yards of offense and again built a big lead in a big first half on the way to a 40-12 win Saturday afternoon in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game.

The Muskies dominated on both sides of the ball to win their second straight game, improving to 3-6 overall and 3-4 in the NACC. Lakeland has one game left in its season, hosting St. Norbert College this coming Saturday for the season finale.

The Muskies defense shut down the Red Devils (2-7 overall, 1-6 NACC) both rushing and passing, including allowing just 38 yards rushing in 21 attempts and also holding Eureka quarterbacks to 6-for-20 passing for 84 total yards. Lakeland allowed just five first downs and intercepted the hosts three times, including Zelmarious Banks (Fr.-Fort Wayne, Ind.) picking off his sixth pass of the season, Markese Collins (Sr.-Phenix City, Ala.) intercepting his fourth pass and fellow senior Shamond Oliver (Sr.-Phenix City, Ala.) adding his first of the year.

Offensively, the Muskies also had their way with the Red Devils, gaining 516 yards and a season-high 35 first downs, most in the NACC this season. Jontae Lambert (Fr.-Fort Wayne, Ind.) rushed for over 100 yards for the second straight game, Hassan Rivers (Jr.-Dearborn Heights, Mich.) ran for three short touchdowns and Robby Michael (Sr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns. Lakeland also scored 33 points in the first half, one week after scoring 34 in the first half on the way to an easy win over Concordia University Chicago.

The Muskies scored touchdowns on their first three drives of the game to build a 20-6 lead in the first quarter. Lambert scored on a 17-yard run, Caden Kleparski (So.-Colby, Wis.) took a short pass from Michael and went 57 yards for a score, and Rivers answered Eureka's first touchdown by scoring on a 2-yard run with 4:05 left in the quarter.

Rivers added two more TDs in the second quarter, both coming from one yard out. The first capped a 13-play, 48-yard drive, while the second finished an eight-play, 81-yard drive at the end of the half with the touchdown with nine seconds left in the half giving the Muskies a 33-6 lead at halftime.

The Red Devils took the second half kickoff nearly all the way to the house, with Braylon Boyer returning it 75 yards down to the Lakeland 5. The Muskies defense still nearly held, but Rudolph Jones found Nathan Barrett for a 5-yard touchdown on 4th-and-goal to make it 33-12.

Lakeland answered right back with a long 15-play, 61-yard drive capped by Michael's second touchdown pass of the game, as he hit Jeremy Kobe (Sr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) for an 8-yard touchdown and a 40-12 lead with 7:25 left in the third period. Neither team scored the rest of the way, with the Muskies stopped on downs three times on their final five drives and having another drive end near the Eureka goal line on a fumble.

Lambert rushed 21 times for 120 yards, Jatron Bevly (Sr.-Springfield, Ill.) carried 14 times for 53 yards and Rivers added 12 rushes for 31 yards. Michael also completed 23 of 38 passes for 277 yards and added 43 yards rushing. Mason Motquin (So.-Forestville, Wis.) led the Lakeland receivers with six catches for 61 yards and Kleparski added three grabs for 80 yards.

Vyron Rosquist-Wallace (Sr.-Henderson, Nev.) led the defense with six tackles, with 1.5 tackles for loss including a sack. Collins also added six tackles, Oliver totaled five tackles and two pass breakups and Evan Soto (Sr.-El Paso, Texas) added a sack.

The Muskies wrap up their season against St. Norbert on Saturday at 1 p.m. at John Taylor Memorial Field.