Mason Prunick (Sr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) had a career day receiving and Lakeland University piled up the big plays on offense again in 54-41 victory over Anderson (Ind.) University Saturday afternoon at Macholtz Stadium.
Prunick caught three touchdown passes including scores from 64 and 31 yards out, and the Muskies' first five touchdowns all came from at least 31 yards out. Lakeland took off after falling behind 14-7 early in the second quarter, outscoring the Ravens 41-5 over the next 30 minutes to improve to 2-0 on the season with its second straight non-conference win.
The Muskies continued to excel with a big-play attack that has been a mark of 2021, going back to the abbreviated spring season when the team scored eight touchdowns from 33 yards out or further over three games. Charl'Tez Nunnery (Sr.-Liberty, Miss.) completed 14 of 29 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns before leaving the game late in the third quarter with the Muskies holding a 48-19 lead, and through two games this fall he has completed 24 passes for 435 yards and six touchdowns.
Prunick caught a 63-yard touchdown pass from Nunnery in Lakeland's season-opening win over Illinois College, and on Saturday he snagged a 64-yard touchdown from Nunnery early in the second quarter, capping a seven-play, 75-yard drive to tie the game at 14-14. Prunick also caught a 31-yard touchdown in the first quarter and added an eight-yard grab for six points in the third quarter, all part of his four catches for a career-best 133 yards.
The Muskies made most of their hay in the second and third quarters, outscoring the Ravens (0-2 overall) 41-12. The biggest stretch came in the final two minutes in the first half, when Lakeland turned a 17-14 deficit into a 28-17 lead going into halftime.
The Muskies drove 75 yards in 10 plays and took the lead for good when Larry Rivers (Dearborn Heights, Mich.) broke free for a 32-yard touchdown run with 1 minutes, 20 seconds left in the half. Lakeland would get the ball back again just 26 seconds later after a quick Anderson three-and-out, and it would need just three plays to go 65 yards, capped by Nunnery connecting with Jaylen Rido (Sr.-Houston, Texas) for a 37-yard touchdown and a 28-17 lead with 18 seconds left before halftime.
The Muskies would add to their lead on their second drive of the second half when Rivers, in the middle of yet another big game, broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run and a 34-17 lead. Anderson would briefly slow Lakeland by blocking the extra point and returning it 97 yards for two points, but the Muskies would add two more touchdowns in the quarter, first with Prunick's third touchdown catch and then with Nunnery taking it in from 10 yards out for a score with 3:13 left in the quarter.
Lakeland would even have success in the fourth quarter with backup quarterback Lane Sobieski (Jr.-Berlin, Wis.) coming in and directing a 12-play, 75-yard drive capped by a 14-yard touchdown pass to Devin Martin (Conyers, Ga.) for the freshman's first collegiate touchdown catch. Anderson would add two more touchdowns and two two-point conversions late, including a final one with 29 seconds left in the game to make the score more respectable.
Rivers finished with 145 yards rushing on just 13 carries and also added four receptions for 44 yards. Nunnery added 66 yards rushing and a number of Muskies contributed to the offensive cause with 11 different players running the ball and eight catching at least one pass.
Lakeland finished with a 566-236 advantage in total offense, also putting up a sturdy defensive effort even as the host Ravens held the ball for more than 36 minutes. The Muskies were especially tough against the run, allowing just 10 yards on 36 carries, forced ten Anderson punts in the game, and allowed an average of just 2.7 yards per play.
Lakeland also sacked Ravens quarterbacks six times. Chris Daniels (So.-Cedar Grove, Wis.) recorded two sacks and five others had a part in at least one-half sack.
The Muskies play at home for the first time this season and also open Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play Saturday when they welcome Wisconsin Lutheran College for a 1 p.m. kickoff next week at Taylor Field.
Muskies by the Numbers:
2.7 - Yards per play for Anderson in 89 offensive plays
4 - Touchdowns this season in two games for Mason Prunick
8 - Touchdowns accounted for by Charl'Tez Nunnery in two games this season
12 - Sacks through two games by the Muskies defense
15 - Career 100-yard rushing games for Larry Rivers
17.8 - Yards per pass completion for Muskies, with 19 completions going for 339 yards
26.1 - Third down completion percentage allowed by Muskies defense, as Anderson converted just 6 of 23 third downs
1028 - Yards of total offense through two games for Lakeland, including 506 yards rushing and 522 yards passing
Lakeland strikes quick through air, on ground again to roll past Anderson
/seasons/2021/boxscores/20210911_3zwz.xml
2021
Lakeland
54
Anderson
41
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland (2-0) | 7 | 21 | 20 | 6 | 54 |
| Anderson (0-2) | 7 | 10 | 2 | 22 | 41 |
Sep 11, 2021