PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Concordia University Wisconsin scored touchdowns on its first four drives of the game and Lakeland University was unable to keep up in a 49-28 loss Saturday afternoon in the 35th annual Cheese Bowl game at John Taylor Memorial Field.
The Muskies could do little to slow down the Falcons most of the way and turnovers torpedoed any chances of a comeback in the second half. Concordia defeated Lakeland for the fifth straight year and spoiled the Muskies' Homecoming in the final Cheese Bowl game before CUW leaves the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference after this year.
Lakeland (2-2 overall, 1-1 NACC) played at home for the first time this season after opening with three straight road games and welcomed a huge crowd for Homecoming and a highly anticipated game, after the Muskies lost to the Falcons each of the last three years in games decided by three points, three points, and then in overtime last year.
Concordia (4-0 overall, 2-0 NACC) scored touchdowns on seven of its first eight drives, though, with six of those touchdown drives seven plays or more. The Falcons built a two-touchdown lead by early in the second quarter after their third score, and the Muskies never got closer the rest of the way.
The Falcons came in with a clear plan to run the ball and plowed away on the ground all game, rushing on 61 of their 79 plays and gaining 299 yards. Alijah Bright (128 yards) and Jacob Pugh (113) both gained over 100 yards on the ground, the running game allowed Concordia to hog the ball for more than 40 minutes of time of possession.
Lakeland hung around with big help from a pair of huge plays in the first half. The first came on the Muskies' first possession of the game, when a short pass by
Carson Glosny (
Jr.-Green Bay, Wis.) to
Caleb Besaw (
Sr.-Conroe, Texas) turned into Besaw breaking free down the right sideline, finally tripped up after an 81-yard catch and run. Glosny then found
Caden Kleparski (
Jr.-Unity, Wis.) on a third down throw to the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown that with the extra point by
McKynzee Schepp (
Sr.-Marshall, Wis.) tied the game at 7-7.
Lakeland went three-and-out on its next two drives, though, and saw a third drive end in an interception. The Falcons cashed all three times to take a 28-7 lead, and CUW was driving at the end of the first half with 19 seconds left when
Zelmarious Banks (
So.-Fort Wayne, Ind.) intercepted a pass from Roman Funk and weaved his way through traffic, going 86 yards for the touchdown and bringing the Muskies within 28-14 at halftime.
Lakeland received the second half kickoff, but a holding penalty put the Muskies in a 3rd-and-long situation, and the drive ended with an interception by Khalil Hargrove-Collins. Lakeland would commit three more turnovers in the second half, finishing with five turnovers in the game including four interceptions thrown.
Concordia followed up that interception with a touchdown before the Muskies got one back, driving 65 yards in 10 plays capped by Glosny's 4-yard touchdown pass to Besaw over the middle to cut the Falcons' lead to 35-21. An onside kick out of bounds quickly turned into another CUW score, though, and following another interception the Falcons put the game away with a nine-play, 73-yard drive finished by Bright's 32-yard run for a score.
Lakeland added a final touchdown in the last two minutes, going 60 yards in four plays.
Jontae Lambert (So.-Fort Wayne, Ind.) broke off a 31-yard run and then
Zach Heitzmann (
Jr.-Sheboygan, Wis.), the Muskies' third quarterback of the game, threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to
Lamarious Liggins (
So.-Memphis, Tenn.) for his first collegiate touchdown throw and the final score of the game.
Glosny completed 15 of 25 passes for 194 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Besaw caught eight passes for 127 yards and Liggins added four grabs for 39 yards. Lambert paced the rushing attack with eight carries for 49 yards, but the Muskies were limited to 98 yards on the ground on 24 rushes.
Trayvonne Roberts (
Sr.-Lynwood, Ill.) led the defense with nine tackles from a safety spot and
Giovanni Merriweather (
Jr.-Machesney Park, Ill.) added eight tackles.
Kenyon Peoples (
Sr.-Lansing, Ill.) added seven tackles including two tackles for loss.
Funk completed 12 of 18 passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns for Concordia, which outgained Lakeland 458-327 and posted a 28-16 advantage in first downs. The Falcons also converted 13 of 17 third downs.
The Muskies are home again next week when they face Benedictine University at 7 p.m. at Taylor Field.
