LYNDHURST, Ohio -- Notre Dame short-circuited its own drives a half-dozen times with turnovers, and Kentucky Wesleyan capitalized to defeat the Falcons, 38-13, on Saturday afternoon. (Box)

The visiting Panthers, who had been winless in nine games this season, were a plus-six in turnover margin with NDC throwing two interceptions and fumbling four times.  Kentucky Wesleyan (1-9) got five touchdown passes from senior quarterback Chris Owen in a game that saw the Panthers score 31 unanswered points.

Notre Dame (5-5) got a 353-yard passing performance from sophomore quarterback Rob Partridge, but Partridge was picked off twice on a day when NDC had trouble maintaining possession of the football. For the game, KWC controlled the clock and compiled a time-of-possession of 36 minutes-and-24 seconds.

In total yardage, the Panthers outgained the Falcons, 449 yards to 403.  The game at Korb Field marked Notre Dame's 2011 home finale.  The loss marked NDC's third in a row.

“We made some costly mistakes,” said Head Coach Adam Howard.  “Those turnovers put us in a bad spot -- being down several scores -- but the guys kept battling.  We'll use this experience to grow from.”

Five of Notre Dame's turnovers came in the first half after the Falcons had opened up a 7-0 lead with a 34-yard Rob Partridge-to-Keifer Titus touchdown pass midway through the opening quarter.  After that score the balance of the first half was all-KWC.  The Panthers got a 75-yard TD pass from Owen to tie the score, 7-7, with five seconds remaining in the first.  Then, Kentucky Wesleyan scored two more TDs through the air and got a 26-yard field goal as time expired.  That sent the two teams into halftime with the Panthers leading, 24-7.

In the second half, Kentucky Wesleyan struck first with a 22-yard Chris Owen-to-Jeff Ward TD pass.  Ward had a big game for the Panthers -- he rushed the ball 34 times for 157 yards and caught four passes for 57 yards.  That score came at the 10:37-mark in the third.  Neither side would score again until Partridge found Randy Greenwood in the corner of the end zone for a 33-yard strike at the 0:16-mark.  That TD and a failed conversion attempt brought the score to KWC 31, NDC 13.

The Panthers scored the final TD of the day on Owen's fourth TD pass, an 11-yarder to Jacob Anderson.  KWC managed to control the clock for over 11 minutes in the final frame (11:01); the Panthers' scoring drive clocked in at 8:03.

Rob Partridge set a pair of new single-game passing marks for the Falcons in the losing effort.  His 353 yards and 28 completions in a 28-of-41 stat line are both new program bests.

His KWC counterpart, Owens, finished the game with an 18-of-27 line, throwing for 282 yards.

Sophomore running back Pedro Powell led NDC rushers with 54 yards on 11 carries.  As a team, Notre Dame was held to a season-low 50 rushing yards for the game.  Wide receiver Michael Fields led Notre Dame's pass-catchers with seven receptions.

NDC's six turnovers mark the most in program history.  The Falcons were a plus-three in turnover margin coming into the contest.

Notre Dame will close out its “sophomore season” with a road contest -- the Falcons will be at North Greenville (S.C.) on Saturday, Nov. 12.