ALBERT LEA — The Packer football team hit a lull in the third quarter that it couldn’t overcome as it lost 40-19 at Albert Lea in its last regular season game Wednesday.

The Packers (2-6 overall, 2-5 Big Nine) allowed 26 points in the third quarter and fell behind 34-7 after leading 7-6 at the break.

“It’s like we were totally two different teams,” Austin head coach Brett Vesel said. “We can’t just fall apart after a couple bad things happen.”

Austin opened the game strong as Kole Igou blocked an Albert Lea punt on the Tigers’ first possession and Ethan Horstmann ran it back for a score. The Packers got to the AL eight-yard line on their next possession, but they couldn’t convert a fourth and eight as Ryan Synoground was stopped for a three-yard run.

The Tigers (2-6 overall, 2-5 Big Nine) took a little momentum at the end of the half, when they went 85 yards in seven plays, thanks to two personal fouls on Austin, and Ethan Abben caught a 10-yard TD pass with 1:01 left in the half.

“We gave them that whole drive based on what we did on penalties. We’ve got to be smarter than that and it went downhill after that,” Vesel said.

The second half started as bad as it could for the Packers as they fumbled away the opening kickoff and AL took a 14-6 lead on an Abben 26-yard TD run. Austin also fumbled on the first play of its next possession and the Tigers scored again on Mikael Lunning 2-yard run to take a 22-6 lead.

Cody Scherrf had 136 receiving yards for the Tigers, with most of them coming in the second half.

“They went to a different formation with max protect in the second half and we adjusted late. They had a couple of nice set ups for (Scherff),” Vesel said.

AUSTIN STATS

Rushing: Elijah Dahmen, 16-for-78; Nate Conner, 4-for-18, TD; Ryan Synoground, 9-for-10; Passing: Synoground, 15-for-28, 167, TD, INT; Receiving: Nik Gasner, 7-for-73, TD; Bret Lukes, 3-for-46; Tommy Olmsted, 3-for-26; Jacob Kempen, 1-for-16; Conner, 1-for-6; Interceptions: Gabe Kasak (1); Penalties: 12-for-109

SCORING SUMMARY

Austin 7 0 0 12 — 19

Albert Lea 0 6 26 6 — 40

First quarter

(A) Ethan Horstmann 5 block punt return (Stoulil kick) (1 play, 5 yards) 8:09

Second quarter

(AL) Ethan Abben 10 pass from Derek Burkard (pass failed) (7 plays, 85 yards) 1:03

Third quarter

(AL) Abben 26 run (Scherff from Burkard) (4 plays, 37 yards) 9:15

(AL) Makael Lunning 2 run (Abben run) (5 plays, 51 yards) 6:08

(AL) Abben 2 run (pass failed) (5 plays, 56 yards) 2:23

(AL) Lucas Hansen 65 interception return (run failed) (1 play, 65 yards) 1:00

Fourth quarter

(A) Nik Gasner 9 pass from Ryan Synoground (pass failed) (6 plays, 29 yards) 11:22

(AL) Abben 18 run (pass failed) (9 plays, 52 yards) 7:36

(A) Conner 5 run (pass failed) (14 plays, 80 yards) 4:04