RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Robby Michael (Jr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) connected with Xaviar Thomas (Sr.-Chicago Heights, Ill.) for an 86-yard touchdown pass with 34 seconds left in the game, the final cherry on a frantic fourth quarter and a preposterous final three minutes as Lakeland University defeated Concordia University Chicago 66-61 Saturday afternoon.
Perhaps the wildest game in Lakeland program history ended in appropriate fashion, as Michael's bomb to Thomas was the longest yet in a can-you-top-this game filled to the brim with big plays. The 10th touchdown of the game of at least 34 yards or more capped a fourth quarter that included four lead changes in the final 2:43, two in just the final 52 seconds, and saw Lakeland win its Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference opener.
The Cougars (1-2 overall, 0-1 NACC) had just retaken the lead with 52 seconds left, when quarterback Colton Busch mushed ahead on a sneak to put CUC ahead 61-60, answering just 1:11 after the Muskies had retaken the lead on Michael's 61-yard touchdown pass to Jatron Bevly (Jr.-Springfield, Ill.). Lakeland appeared to be in deep trouble after Bosch's score, though, and a short kickoff return only to the 14-yard line made the task of scoring one final time even more daunting.
Instead, it took just one play for the Muskies to go back ahead. With 46 seconds and just one timeout left, Michael received the snap in the shotgun and lofted a pass over the middle to a streaking Thomas. The fifth-year senior caught it at the Lakeland 40-yard line with two steps already on his defender, and he was gone, cruising into the end zone for the longest reception of his career and on a play that tied for the sixth-longest pass completion in Muskies history.
Lakeland was unable to convert the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, and CUC had one final chance with 34 seconds left. A Muskies defense that had struggled much of the day came up big at last, first only giving the Cougars short gains as they got to the Lakeland 40 with enough time for one play. The Muskies also had the final pass of the game covered, with Justin McMahon (Sr.-Kyle, Texas) intercepting Bosch's pass and falling down to secure the victory.
The Muskies and Cougars combined for 56 points in the final quarter alone, and the 127 points combined are easily the most in a game in school history. Lakeland and Concordia broke the previous mark of 111 points set in the Muskies' 56-55 win over Eureka College in 2018.
The game opened with its first touchdown just 50 seconds in, when CUC went 75 yards in two plays to take the 7-0 lead on a 29-yard pass from Bosch to Jayce Levy. The contest would feature nine lead changes in all, but Lakeland appeared to be in good shape when Michael hit Caleb Besaw (Jr.-Conroe, Texas) for a seven-yard touchdown and Noah Foster (Fr.-Greenville, Mich.) made the extra point for a 54-39 lead with 7:48 to play.
The Cougars needed just 1:24 to go 65 yards, though, and Bosch hit Henry Jones for a 34-yard touchdown that with the two-point conversion made it 54-47 with 6:16 left.The Muskies then were stopped for one of the few times all afternoon, as CUC's blitz-happy defense resulted in a pair of incomplete passes deep to end a drive and give the ball back to the Cougars.
A short punt gave the hosts the ball at the Lakeland 40, and Bosch and Jones hooked up again three plays later for a 41-yard touchdown. Another successful two-point play gave Concordia the lead at 55-54, its first lead since early in the second half. That score would be the first of four touchdowns in the final 2:43 to wind up the game, with long-bomb passes keying or directly accounting for all four scores.
Michael finished with huge numbers passing and rushing and had a hand in seven Lakeland touchdowns. He completed 17 of 36 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushed 18 times for 204 yards and three scores. The 539 yards of total offense are seven yards shy of his previous career high of 546 yards set last year against Concordia University Wisconsin.
Bevly also gained nearly 200 yards on his own on just 11 touches. The junior running back carried seven times for 94 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to give the Muskies a 13-10 lead. He also caught five passes for 99 yards.
Lakeland finished with 660 yards of total offense, including 342 yards passing and 318 yards rushing. In addition to Thomas and Bevly's breakaways, Keon Willis (Jr.-Chicago, Ill.) caught a 45-yard touchdown pass, Michael scored on a 36-yard run and Mack Beasley (Fr.-Manitowoc, Wis.) returned a punt 37 yards for a touchdown.
Bosch completed 21 of 34 passes for Concordia for 403 yards and five touchdowns, and also rushed for two touchdowns. The Muskies defense did come up with five sacks, including two each by Karlis Ozols (Sr.-Fond du Lac, Wis.) and Kenyon Peoples (So.-Lansing, Ill.). Charles Kobe (Sr.-Glendale, Wis.) led the defense with 10 tackles.
Lakeland now gets ready for its home opener with a night date with Wisconsin Lutheran College next Saturday at 6 p.m. at Taylor Field.