Kezlow Smith (Sr.-Pontiac, Mich.) set a new Lakeland College record for career receiving yards, one of many highlights for the Muskies in a 41-0 win over Concordia University Chicago Saturday afternoon at Taylor Field.
Lakeland scored 27 second quarter points on the way to a 41-0 halftime lead and breezed home from there against the shorthanded Cougars to improve to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. The Muskies dominated in all aspects of the game to get above the .500 mark overall this year with their second straight win.
Smith set the record with a seven-yard reception on Lakeland's second drive of the game, breaking the former school mark of 2,254 yards previously held by MacArthur White (2004-07). He finished with six catches for 65 yards and now has 2,289 yards in his 2 1/2 year Muskies career.
Smith also had a pair of touchdown receptions of 22 and 9 yards from Michael Whitley (So.-Vidalia, La.), the first putting Lakeland ahead 14-0 and the second capping the scoring with still six minutes to play in the second quarter. In all Whitley passed for four touchdowns and rushed for another in a short-but-efficient performance where he came out of the game late in the second quarter with the Muskies in complete control.
Whitley completed 15 of 20 passes for 206 yards. His second touchdown pass was a 44-yarder to Peyton Petersen(So.-Farmington Hills, Mich.), Petersen's first career touchdown reception. The other touchdown pass was a four-yarder in the second quarter to Fred Fielding (Sr.-Black Creek, Wis.), Lakeland's starting inside linebacker who came in on several occasions as an extra tight end and caught a touchdown with his first collegiate reception.
As efficient as the offense was in the first half, the Muskies defense was dominant for the entire game. Lakeland held Concordia (2-3 overall, 0-2 NACC) to 68 yards of total offense, including a net of minus-four yards rushing while also coming up with three interceptions.
All three of the interceptions came in the second quarter, two from sophomore cornerback Dajuan Darling (Detroit, Mich.). The first was returned 20 yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter to give the Muskies a 28-0 lead, and he picked off another Cougar pass on the next drive, returning it 20 yards to set up the 47-yard drive that ended with Whitley's touchdown pass to Fielding.
Donte Rowell (So.-Chicago, Ill.) also added an interception later in the second quarter, and he was not the only star on defense. Josh Schneider (Sr.-Green Bay, Wis.) posted two sacks and made 3.5 tackles for loss, and Vincent Stepney-Willis (Sr.-Madison, Wis.) also added a sack. Mario Rafe (Fr.-Bourbonnais, Ill.) also had a career-high six tackles, including 1.5 for loss, while Landon Derginer (Sr.-Marinette, Wis.) added his second blocked punt of the season and third of his career.
Kory Peterson (So.-Detroit, Mich.) took over for Whitley late in the second quarter and in his first quarterback action for Lakeland completed 5 of 10 passes for 52 yards while also rushing eight times for 22 yards. Eldrada Meeks (Fr.-Southfield, Mich.) rushed 14 times for 56 yards to lead a ground attack that gained 141 yards, while Smith led the receiving corps and was one of 10 players to catch a pass in the game.
Concordia played without starting quarterback Rob Granquist, and three reserve Concordia quarterbacks combined to complete just 8 of 21 passes for 72 yards. Ryan Allison was the leading receiver with three catches for 37 yards, while A.J. Seidler led the Cougars defense with 11 tackles.
Lakeland is home again next week when it hosts Trine (Ind.) University for a non-conference game at 1 p.m. at Taylor Field.
Smith sets school receiving record, Muskies breeze past Cougars 41-0
/seasons/2015/boxscores/20151010_qcbc.xml
2015
Concordia-Chicago
0
Lakeland
41
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concordia-Chicago (2-3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lakeland (3-2) | 14 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 41 |
Oct 10, 2015