PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Larry Rivers (Sr.-Dearborn Heights, Mich.) added to his superb Lakeland University career with another record-breaking day and the Muskies were nearly unstoppable in an overpowering 56-7 win over Wisconsin Lutheran College Saturday afternoon at Taylor Field.
The Muskies put up 50 points in a massive first half and moved to 3-0 on the season while also winning their Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference opener. Lakeland also won in its first appearance at home of the season and sent a huge alumni crowd home happy on the first Homecoming since 2019, after last year's was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Rivers rushed for 204 yards and set a new school single-game rushing record with six touchdowns. He also tied a nearly 53-year old Lakeland record for most points in a game set by Pat Curran, who rushed for three touchdowns and caught three touchdown passes against Northwestern (Wis.) Nov. 2, 1968 before embarking on a 10-year NFL career. Rivers's six touchdowns and 36 points also tied NACC single-game marks for rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns and points scored.
The senior running back and Lakeland's all-time leading rusher scored touchdowns from 7, 4, 1, 7, 8 and 9 yards out, and his touchdowns were some of his shorter runs of the day among his 25 carries. Rivers averaged 8.2 yards per rush for the game, and gained all of his yardage in little more than two quarters, exiting the game for good after his sixth touchdown with 10 minutes, 29 seconds left in the third quarter.
Lakeland scored on all seven of its first-half drives, including six touchdowns. The Muskies scored 17 points in the first quarter, 33 points in the second, and piled up 458 yards of offense and 25 touchdowns in the first 30 minutes. The dominance was so complete that even the first touchdown for Wisconsin Lutheran (0-3 overall, 0-1 NACC) was answered immediately, with freshman Devin Martin (Conyers, Ga.) returning the ensuing kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown and a 44-7 lead with 4:45 still left in the half.
Unlike the previous week when the Muskies struck for big plays in a 41-point blitz over the second and third quarters against Anderson (Ind.) University, Lakeland methodically moved the ball against the Warriors, with five drives of at least eight plays, four lasting 10 plays or longer. The Muskies used 10 plays each on their first two drives, going 74 and 91 yards, respectively, with Rivers scoring the first two of his touchdowns for a 14-0 lead.
Peyton Domangue (So.-Thibodaux, La.) kicked a 33-yard field goal to cap an 11-play, 43-yard drive to close out the first quarter, and the Muskies gained steam in the second quarter. Rivers scored from one yard out and then capped another eight-play, 86-yard drive with a seven-yard run to make it 30-0 before the midway point of the period.
After another stop from a defense that also was stout all day, Lakeland struck for its biggest offensive play of the afternoon. Charl'Tez Nunnery (Sr.-Liberty, Miss.) went deep down the left sideline and hit Martin, who cruised in for a 55-yard touchdown. Martin would follow with a kickoff return for a touchdown just a few minutes later, immediately after WLC got on the board on a 45-yard run by Justin Parbs, and the freshman's return for a score was the Muskies' first since Rivers brought back a kick 97 yards Sept. 1, 2018 against Carroll University in the season opener.
Rivers added an eight-yard touchdown with just 28 seconds left in the first half to put Lakeland at the 50-point mark, and he added his sixth touchdown with 10:29 left in the third quarter. Rivers, Nunnery and a number of offensive starters would sit the rest of the game and the Muskies were on cruise control, even as they still drove deep into WLC territory twice before drives ended.
Lakeland had little to worry about in the second half with a defense that forced five turnovers and held Wisconsin Lutheran to 249 yards of offense and 12 first downs. Andrew Cardiel (Sr.-Needville, Texas) intercepted a pair of passes, Rayshion Brumfield (Sr.-Ponchatoula, La.) and Jayson Wilder (Jr.-Milwaukee, Wis.) also picked up passes and Ezekiel Combs (Sr.-East Point, Ga.) recovered a fumble. The Muskies also sacked WLC quarterbacks six times, including three sacks from Otis Watts (Sr.-Chicago, Ill.) and two more from Shazon Crutcher (Sr.-Lansing, Mich.), moving the team's total to 18 sacks through three games.
Lakeland finished with 627 yards of offense, including 376 yards rushing and 251 through the air, plus 33 first downs. Nunnery joined Rivers in topping the 100-yard mark rushing with 17 carries for 110 yards, and he also was efficient passing completing 13 of 18 passes for 188 yards.
Lane Sobieski (Jr.-Berlin, Wis.) also passed for 63 yards and added 37 yards rushing in relief. Jaylen Rido (Sr.-Houston, Texas) led the Lakeland receivers with a career-best five receptions for 63 yards, and Chris Crawford (So.-Chicago, Ill.) added four catches for 40 yards.
Nick Yockey completed 16 of 29 passes for 143 yards for Wisconsin Lutheran, with Mike DuPree catching seven passes for 83 yards. Parbs also rushed for 78 yards, and Ty Castillo posted a game-high 14 tackles (nine solo, five assisted).
Lakeland is home again next week when it welcomes new NACC member St. Norbert College for a 6 p.m. kickoff at Taylor Field.
Muskies by the numbers:
6 - Number of sacks by the Muskies defense in each of the first three games
6 - Also the number of sacks by Otis Watts through three games
7.3 - Average yards per play in 86 offensive plays for Lakeland
32 - Career touchdowns for Larry Rivers, sixth-most in school history
33 - First downs for Lakeland in the game
48:12 - Time played in game before the Muskies' first and only punt
59 - Yards rushing allowed by Lakeland defense on 25 WLC carries
526 - Rushing yards through three games for Larry Rivers
60-21-3 - Lakeland's all-time record in Homecoming games