ADRIAN, Mich.--Junior Kyle Nutter ran for a career- and game-high 165 yards and he scored two touchdowns to set the tone for a 28-21 Adrian College football victory Saturday over non-conference opponent Lakeland.
= Final Score: Adrian College 28, Lakeland University 21
= Location: Docking Stadium, Adrian, Mich.; Weather: Sunny, 57 degrees, Wind WNW 12 mph
= Records: Adrian Bulldogs (3-2); Lakeland Muskies (3-2)
FOR ADRIAN
= Sophomore quarterback Gage Smith tied his career high with 16 completions on 26 pass attempts for 206 yards and a TD. He did not throw an interception.
= Nutter ran the ball a Bulldog season-high 34 times for his personal-record rushing yardage, and scored on runs of four yards both times.
= Junior lineman Damon Fuller led the AC defense with two of the team's five sacks (for 39 yards) and he finished with five total tackles (4 solo).
= Senior Pat Stephenson led all Bulldogs with six total stops including three solo, plus an important takeaway in the fourth quarter.
= Sophomore wide receivers Darius Philon and Jerron McGaw each had a solid day. Philon set a career-high with nine receptions for 100 yards and a TD, and McGaw caught five balls for 96.
= Besides Fuller, junior defensive back Eli Villalobos, junior linebacker Jacob Davis and sophomore defensive linemanAustin Kowalczyk also had four tackles among five total stops. In addition, Villalobos intercepted a pass, Davis had a pass breakup and Kowalczyk added a quarterback hurry and one tackle for loss (1 yard).
= Junior Connor Storms averaged a whopping 54.7 yards on three punts, including a career-long 69 yards in the third quarter.
THE OPPOSITION
= Logan O'Neill was 8-for-21 passing with 207 yards, two TDs and a pair of interceptions.
= Kezlow Smith caught two passes for a game-best 133 yards and two TDs. Richard Micheaux led the LU receivers with three catches (42 yards).
= Airiss Hargrow paced all defensive players with 13 solo and 17 total tackles, plus he forced a fumble. Donte Rowell also had 17 stops including eight solo.
HOW IT HAPPENED
= Adrian doubled up Lakeland in first downs (24-12) and time of possession (39:59-20:01). The Bulldogs also outgained the Muskies in total yards (422-280).
= Nutter scored from four yards out for the go-ahead score with 3 minutes and 40 seconds left in the game, and Stephenson sealed the win with an interception at the LU 32 on the Muskies' last possession.
= Lakeland tied the score 21-all as Smith hauled in a 66-yard TD pass from O'Neill at the 10:48 mark in the fourth quarter.
= The Muskies took their only lead of the contest on an unusual play to open the second quarter scoring. Adrian was set up to attempt a 53-yard field, but Michael Wynn was deep in his end zone and he returned the kick 100 yards for a touchdown at 13:14.
= But on its next possession, the Adrian had a nice response 3:01 later to knot the score 7-7. Nutter capped a six-play, 59-yard drive in 2:53 with a four-yard TD run.
= Adrian took advantage of good field position by scoring near the end of the first half. After a 14-yard LU punt out of bounds at the Adrian 48, Smith led an eight-play drive that culminated with a 15-yard TD throw to Philon to make it 14-7 with 57 seconds left.
= In the third quarter, Lakeland tied it again, 14-14, on a n O'Neill to Smith 67-yard TD pass play that capped a quick five-play, 82-yard drive in 1:50.
= Both defenses kept the offense on the scoreboard until early in the fourth. Sophomore Foster Walker scored his first career touchdown from 2 yards out to give Adrian a 21-14 lead at the 11:44 mark. The bulk of the 79-yard drive was set up by Nutter's career long rush of 63 yards off tackle and along the right side of the Bulldogs' bench.
= The teams played to a scoreless first quarter.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
= This afternoon marked the first meeting between the schools. Adrian improves to 7-2 against the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference since 2008.
= With 164 punting yards today, Storms now has 4,692 for his career to cement his No. 6 place on the school's all-time chart.
= Fuller had two sacks for 10 yards today. He now has 28 sacks in his career, which is second on the Bulldogs' all-time list. He took over the conference lead with 7-1/2 sacks on the season.
= The Bulldogs move to 19-9 in October games under seventh-year head coach Jim Deere '89.
= Lakeland came in averaging 112 yards per game on the ground, but the Adrian "D" held the Muskies to just 50 on 26 rushing attempts this afternoon.
= This is the first time this fall that the Bulldogs won a game when the opponent scores first.
UP NEXT
= Adrian resumes Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association next Saturday when it hosts Hope College on Black Out and First Responders Day. Kickoff at Docking Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
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