The Lakeland University football team returns from a week off for its Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference opener at Rockford University Saturday afternoon on the road at 1 p.m.
Lakeland and Rockford meet for the 18th straight season in a series that has been dominated by the Muskies save for one meeting at Taylor Field seven years ago. Lakeland has won the last six meetings, including a 35-28 win at home in last year's season finale as the defense intercepted five passes, including two each by
Charles Kobe and
Justin McMahon, and
Robby Michael rushed for 218 yards. The Muskies also won the last meeting at Rockford, taking a 41-20 victory Sept. 23, 2023. The Regents' lone win in the series came Oct. 13, 2018, a 37-20 victory on the road at Lakeland. The Muskies are 8-1 at home and 8-0 on the road in the series that started in 2008, the first season of football in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference.
Lakeland last time out: Lost to Greenville 29-28 Sept. 13
The Muskies have been idle since playing two weeks ago, when the Panthers scored a touchdown and then the go-ahead two-point conversion with 2:42 left in the game, the final score in a back-and-forth game the whole way. Lakeland led by a touchdown on three different occasions in a game where each team scored one touchdown in all four quarters, but the Muskies came up short on a final drive in the last three minutes and dropped to 0-2 on the season. Lakeland outgained Greenville 455-357 in the game and held the ball for nearly 35 minutes, but the Muskies were stunted by 16 penalties and also completed just 13 of 32 pass attempts.
Robby Michael rushed for 164 yards and
Mason Motquin and
Lamarious Liggins both caught their first collegiate touchdown passes.
Lakeland did see a milestone in the game as junior kicker
McKynzee Schepp made all four of her point-after-touchdown kick attempts in the game. Schepp is the first female to score points in a Muskies football game and also is believed to be the first-ever in the 18-year history of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference, and she was named the conference's special teams player of the week for her performance.
Rockford last time out: Lost to Eureka 40-20 last week
The Regents lost their NACC opener at home to the Red Devils, falling into a big hole before a second half rally fell short. Eureka led 20-0 at halftime and 26-0 just 25 seconds into the second half after a 65-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the third quarter. Rockford came back with 20 straight points to make things interesting, including Joey Alvarez returning a fumble 15 yards for a touchdown and Gage Hugart throwing a pair of touchdown passes, the second to William Key early in the fourth quarter to make it 26-20. Eureka answered with a 71-yard touchdown on the second play of its next drive, though, and added a 70-yard touchdown pass late to salt the game away.
The Regents passed for 255 yards but rushed for just 58 yards on 28 attempts. Rockford also committed four turnovers as well as 10 penalties and the Red Devils posted a more than 15 minute edge in time of possession. Hugart passed for 197 yards and two scores and Timothy Bearden caught 12 passes for 113 yards.
About the Regents: Rockford is 1-2 on the season after opening with a 19-15 win over Beloit before dropping a close 34-30 decision at Elmhurst (Ill.) in its second non-conference game. The Regents are coming off a 4-6 record last season that marked the program's most wins in a season since a 7-3 mark in 2007 was the final in a string of four straight 7-3 seasons. Calvin Toliver is in his fourth year as head coach and seventh year overall with the program.
More Michael milestones: Lakeland senior quarterback
Robby Michael moved into second on Lakeland's all-time career rushing list against Greenville, and he enters Saturday needing 62 yards to become the second in Muskies history to rush for 3,000 yards in a career. Michael also needs 241 yards passing to become the sixth in program history to reach 6,000 yards passing in a career, and if he reaches both he will be the third-ever for Lakeland to reach at least 9,000 yards of total offense. Michael also is fifth in Muskies history in completions (452), sixth in passing attempts (872), seventh in touchdown passes (43) and touchdowns scored (32) and eighth in points scored (192).
Joining the club: Deshawn Hampton,
Lamarious Liggins and
Mason Motquin all have caught their first career touchdown passes this season for Lakeland. The trio also bring the number to 13 different receivers who have caught touchdown passes from Michael in the senior QB's four-year career. Others to catch at least one TD pass include:
Caleb Besaw,
Jatron Bevly, Kaeden Calcari,
Kolby Cohen, Chris Crawford, Devon Harris,
Jeremy Kobe, Devin Martin,
Xaviar Thomas and Keon Willis.
Rivers steps up: Lakeland running back
Hassan Rivers enjoyed the best rushing day of his collegiate career against Greenville, carrying 18 times for 85 yards, both career highs. Rivers is second to
Robby Michael so far this season in rushing yards with 134 yards in two games, and also is third on the team in receptions (seven). A first career 100-yard rushing game looks to be just around the corner for
Hassan Rivers, who is the younger brother of Larry Rivers. The older Rivers rushed for 4,557 yards in his five-year career that included 22 career 100-yard rushing games.
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