Regular rivals for a 20-year stretch from the mid-1990s to 2015, Lakeland and Carthage met last year for the first time since 2015. The Firebirds outlasted the Muskies 51-40 in last year's season opener at Lakeland's John Taylor Memorial Field, as Carthage scored 21 unanswered points in the third quarter to take control after the Muskies led 26-23 at halftime. The win marked the 13th straight in the series for Carthage and was the first meeting since a Carthage team then known as the Red Men edged the Muskies 29-28 at Taylor Field in 2015.

Lakeland's last win in the series came Sept. 13, 2003, a 17-16 win on the road in Kenosha. Brent Luebke scored on a pair of rushing touchdowns and the defense forced five Carthage turnovers. The teams first met Oct. 11, 1958, a 42-0 Carthage win in Carthage, Ill., where the school was originally located until the campus was moved to Kenosha in 1962.

About Lakeland: The Muskies come into this season off of a 4-6 overall record last year and a 4-4 mark in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. Lakeland finished the season strong, winning its final three games including the season finale over St. Norbert. The wins came after the Muskies started off 1-6, with four of their losses coming by a touchdown or less including an overtime loss to eventual NACC champion Concordia Wisconsin. Lakeland fielded an especially explosive offense, scoring at least 28 points in every game, and the Muskies outgained their opponents in nine of 10 games and on the season outgained the opposition by an average of 166.4 yards per game.

The Muskies enter this season with a new quarterback, as Robby Michael is now a graduate assistant coach for the program after his career as a four-year starter, which concluded with his being named NACC Offensive Skill Position Player of the Year and setting a school record for career total offense. Michael finished third in NCAA Division III in total offense a year ago, and while this year's quarterback will be new as a starter, he will throw to a talented receiving corps including three players-Caleb Besaw,  DeShawn Hampton and Caden Kleparski) who have received all-NACC honors. The defense is led by Zelmarious Banks, who as a freshman was named first team all-NACC and finished third nationally in Division III in interceptions/game (.70) and tied for fourth in total interceptions (7).

About Carthage: The Firebirds posted the same 4-6 overall record as Lakeland last year and came home at 3-6 in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin. Carthage's conference wins came over Elmhurst, Millikin and Carroll, while narrow losses to Washington-St. Louis in double overtime and at North Park by a 14-10 score prevented further improvement in the win column under now third-year coach Matt Popino, who doubled the team's win total from two to four last year.

The Firebirds sustained heavy losses at the skill positions on offense, but on defense return four all-CCIW performers including Ramon Campos, Jeremy Rowlett, Briton Stanton and Mariano Talamantez, who were all second team all-league picks. They return on a defense that was largely stout; Lakeland and nationally ranked North Central (62 points) and Wheaton (47) all topped four points against Carthage, but the remaining seven opponents combined for a total of 119 points.

Lakeland in season openers: Lakeland is 26-63 all-time in season-opening games. The Muskies have lost their opener each of the last four years, including a loss to Illinois College in 2022; before that, the Muskies had won five of their previous seven season debuts. This is the third time Lakeland has faced Carthage in a season opener; the teams have split the other two meetings, with the Firebirds winning last year while Muskies posted a 37-14 win over the then-Red Men Sept. 14, 2002.

Roster makeup: The Muskies enter the season with a roster of 90 players that is again dominated by natives of Wisconsin and Illinois. Wisconsin natives lead the count with 25 members of the team followed by 19 from Illinois. Third on the list is 13 Muskies from Missouri, up from just two a year ago. The roster also includes nine each from Indiana and Texas, seven from Michigan, four from Florida, and single members of the team from Arizona, California, Georgia and Tennessee, making for a total of 11 states represented on this year's team.

Experience at skill positions, defense back: Lakeland returns a buffet of talent at wide receiver and running back, where Jontae Lambert combined for nearly 900 yards and 11 touchdowns last year and Lambert finished the season with three straight 100-yard games. The quest to replace Michael at quarterback as well as two starters on the offensive line will determine how prolific the offense can remain, while on defense the Muskies return six starters. Three of those starters are in the defensive backfield, including Banks and Tayshaun Hayes at cornerback plus nickel Trayvonne Roberts, an honorable mention all-NACC pick. The D also returns Kenyon Peoples and Norrye Evans on the defensive line and linebacker Austin Mulingbayan, and those three made up the team's top three in tackles for loss as well as sacks, including Peoples with 12 TFLs and Mulingbayan with six sacks.