THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps football team built an early 14-0 lead, but Cal Lutheran came back to win with a two-yard touchdown run from Gabe Landless with 35 seconds left to stay undefeated on the year with a 22-17 victory on Saturday evening at Rolland Stadium. 

With the loss, CMS now stands at 2-2 on the year and 0-2 in conference play, while the Kingsmen improve to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the league. 

The Stags got one of their wins on a last-minute 96-yard touchdown pass from Robert Litscher to Jaden Rattay to defeat George Fox on Sept. 21. After Cal Lutheran went ahead, the two hooked up again for a 45-yard pass that moved the ball all the way to the Cal Lutheran 25-yard line with 25 seconds left. However, Charles Cravings sealed the win with an interception on the next play. 

CMS took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, after Litscher connected with Noah Macapulay for a four-yard touchdown pass to cap off an eight-play, 72-yard drive, and then scored on a six-yard run with 2:00 left in the quarter. 

George Kruger helped set up the second touchdown when he blocked a field goal attempt from Cal Lutheran and returned it to the Kingsmen 30-yard line. Nick Wilde then intercepted a Cal Lutheran pass on the next possession, and Michael Houk and Xzavier Sablan combined on a sack to force the Kingsmen to kick a field goal with 3:09 left in the half, keeping CMS ahead 14-3. 

Litscher and Rattay then connected for a 72-yard pass play down to the Cal Lutheran three-yard line, but the Kingsmen were able to hold CMS to a 20-yard field goal from Sam Brewer, which left the Stags ahead 17-3 at the break. 

Wilde stuffed a run for no gain at the CMS eight-yard line early in the second half to keep CMS ahead 17-3. But Cal Lutheran was able to get a touchdown in the third quarter, and two field goals in the fourth, before a two-yard touchdown run from Gabe Landless with 35 seconds left provided the winning margin. 

Rattay finished with six catches for 155 yards on the day, while Litscher was 13-of-20 passing for 225 yards. Kruger and Gabe Gangi-Saroukhanioff led the CMS defense with nine tackles apiece, while Grady Johnson had 2.5 tackles for losses (1.5 sacks) and Tarius Hamlin added 1.5 sacks as well. 

CMS will be back in action on Saturday when it hosts its home opener against Redlands at 1 p.m.