MONTGOMERY, Ill. –
Deshawn Hampton (
Sr.-Hazel Crest, Ill.) caught a pair of touchdown passes and topped 1,000 receiving yards for his career, highlights for Lakeland University in a 52-21 loss to Aurora University Saturday afternoon at Spartan Athletic Park.
The Muskies fell behind early as the Spartans took advantage of short fields for their first three touchdown drives and then broke the game open in the second half. Lakeland dropped to 3-6 overall and 2-5 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference going into its season finale in two weeks against Rockford University.
The Muskies had an uneven day offensively, gaining 23 first downs-just one less than Aurora-but rushing 39 times for a net of 85 yards. Lakeland also committed four turnovers and was just 5 of 19 on third downs and 2-for-6 on fourth downs.
The Muskies did hold Aurora (4-4 overall, 4-2 NACC) without points on five of its first eight drives in the first half, but the Spartans needed to travel a total of just 50 yards to score three touchdowns on the way to a 21-7 halftime lead. A short punt and a pair of drives taken over on downs inside the Aurora 30, including one at the 2-yard line, helped the hosts build a 21-0 early in the second quarter on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Alcorn to Demarion Williams.
Lakeland got on the board later in the second, one play after
Robert Brown (
So.-Detroit, Mich.) recovered an Aurora fumble. Hampton caught his first of two touchdown passes from
Carson Glosny (
Jr.-De Pere, Wis.) on the day, a 27-yarder that with the extra point made the score 21-7.
The score would hold until halftime, but the Spartans ramped it up offensively in the second half, scoring on their first five drives including four touchdowns. Aurora took the second half kickoff and drove down the field, capped by Alcorn's 23-yard touchdown to Michael Townsend, and then Alcorn ran it in from 18 yards out to cap a 10-play, 87-yard drive that put the Spartans up 35-7 late in the third.
Glosny and Hampton connected again soon after, a 15-yard touchdown that with the extra point by
McKynzee Schepp (
Sr.-Marshall, Wis.) cut the Aurora lead to 35-14. The Muskies would not score again, though, until just seconds remained in the game, when
Hassan Rivers (
Sr.-Dearborn Heights, Mich.) ran it in from two yards out.
Glosny completed 19 of 40 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns. He also gained 71 yards on the ground, but after losses netted just 28 yards on 13 rushing attempts.
Hampton caught five passes for 95 yards and now has 1,031 yards receiving in his career at Lakeland.
Caleb Besaw (
Sr.-Conroe, Texas) added nine catches for 76 yards and
Lamarious Liggins (
So.-Memphis, Tenn.) also caught two passes for 63 yards. Rivers paced the running game with five carries for 36 yards.
Travonne Roberts (
Sr.-Lynwood, Ill.) led the defense with 13 tackles (four solo, nine assisted) plus an interception. Brown also added 10 tackles (four solo, six assisted).
Alcorn completed 15 of 24 passes for 162 yards and four touchdowns for Aurora, which outgained Lakeland 432-344 and scored touchdowns on six of its seven trips inside the red zone.
The Muskies are idle next week and wrap up their season in two weeks on Nov. 14 when they face Rockford University at 1 p.m. at John Taylor Memorial Field.
