SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Notre Dame will play its home opener on Saturday night after playing its first three games this season on the road. The Falcons will welcome the Saints of Siena Heights University to the confines of Korb Field for what will be the second night game in program history when the two upstart programs meet in Lyndhurst, Ohio, for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Coming off its biggest victory in the program's two years the week prior -- a 20-17 overtime win over Walsh (Sept. 10) -- Notre Dame was mauled by the No. 4 (NAIA Coaches') Knights of Marian University last week in Indianapolis. The Falcons were outgained, 565 yards to 278, in a 38-0 loss.

So now Notre Dame -- playing in its 15th game all-time -- returns to Northeast Ohio looking for its first win at home in the program's two seasons (NDC went 0-5 at home in 2010). They'll look for that victory against a Siena Heights squad playing in just its third game. Siena Heights launched a start-up program this fall. Thus far in 2011 the Saints have looked like anything but newcomers -- they've gone 2-0 in over their first two contests, scoring 58 points in the process.

Complete Game Notes (pdf)

COACHING MATCH-UP ...
NOTRE DAME -- ADAM HOWARD
Alma Mater: Wilmington College (1997)
Second Season at NDC: 3-11
Second Season Overall: 3-11

SIENA HEIGHTS -- JIM LYALL
Alma Mater: University of Michigan (1973)
First Season at SHU: 2-0
21st Season Overall: 100-92-1


STORYLINES ...
Last week's shutout loss marked Notre Dame's first this season and fourth overall, and the 565 yards rolled up my Marian set a new single-game high for Falcon foes. Through three games, NDC is averaging 307 total yards per game while yielding 437.

Last week's trip to Indianapolis marked the team's third straight road game. Saturday's NDC-SHU tilt marks the first of three straight home games for Notre Dame. The Falcons will host Central State for their Homecoming Game as the middle of those three games.

RB PEDRO POWELL is coming off his first 100-yard rushing effort this season. Powell rambled for 157 yards (including a program-record rush of 72 yards) last week at Marian. The sophomore from Liberty, Ohio, now has seven 100-yard games in his career.

S BO GRUNDER made a team-high 10 stops in Notre Dame's game in Indianapolis last Saturday. The sophomore from Massillon, Ohio, has played in all 14 of NDC's games over the last two years and he has led the squad in tackles in eight of those games.


NOTRE DAME NOTES ...

LAST WEEK: Notre Dame was shut out, 38-0, by a high-powered Marian team that came into the game ranked No. 4 in the nation. The Knights looked every bit the part of an NAIA title contender when they rolled up 565 yards of total offense while keeping the Falcons off the scoreboard.

BOOM BOOM POW(ELL): Pedro Powell notched his seventh career 100-yard game ad his first this season with a 157-yard afternoon at Marian last Saturday. ... The sophomore from Liberty, Ohio, has now rushed for 1,271 yards in his college career. Last season between Sept. 18 and Oct. 30, Powell rushed for seven consecutive 100-yard games. In that streak, the 5-foot-10 running back ran for a career-high single-game total of 236 yards on Oct. 2 (at Central State). Last week's performance marked his second-highest singe-game output. ...Notre Dame's 188 yards rushing last week as a team mark the second-most they've had in a single game.

POCKET PROTECTORS: The Notre Dame offensive line yielded two sacks last week, but the team has given up just three sacks over their three games. In the Falcons inaugural season, NDC quarterbacks were sacked 34 times (3.1 times per game). ... Siena Heights has recorded 10 sacks in just two games this season. The Saints had seven in their opener. ... Five Falcon linemen have started each of the first three games this season -- RG PAUL BROWN, TE RAY J. BROWN, LG BRIAN HARP, C BRANDON NELLI, RT DeANGELO McLAUGHLIN. All but Ray J. Brown, a freshman from Brunswick, Ohio, had logged collegiate snaps prior to this season.

FOY STORY 2: Jack Foy has had back-to-back big games in leading Notre Dame in receiving. The junior H-back set a program record with nine catches two weeks ago at Walsh, and last week he led the team with five receptions. ... The Sidney, Ohio, native now has 18 catches for 100 yards in his college career. ... On Sept. 3, in the Falcons 2011 season opener, Foy threw a 25-yard TD pass to Robert Partridge in overtime. He is the only Falcon player to have scored a touchdown in three different ways over his career (reception, pass, kick return) -- he had a 92-yard kickoff return for a TD (Oct. 9, 2010 at St. Joseph's-Ind.).

BREAKDOWN IN INDY: In last week's loss, Notre Dame yielded 38 points. That marks the most points allowed in a game since Sept. 25, 2010 (Taylor-Ind., 40 points -- Sept. 25, 2010). ... In its inaugural season, a solid Falcon defense gave up 35-or-more points on just four occasions (39 on Sept. 11 at Fairmont State-W.Va., 40 on Sept. 25 at Taylor, 37 on Oct. 9 at St. Joseph's). ... During the 201 campaign, Notre Dame gave up 28.3 points per game. In the early going of 2011, they have yielded 26.3 PPG. ... Marian passed for 273 yards (third-most yielded by NDC in a single game) and ran for 292 (second-most) in coughing up 565 total yards (most). The Knights averaged an impressive 9.4 yards per play in the contest.

TACKLE BOX: Freshman LB Hayden Davis made his first career start last Saturday at Marian. The 6-foot, 235-pound linebacker had seven tackles in the contest, including five in the first half. Davis earned four letters and was a four-year starter for Head Coach Rick Robertson at Springfield High School. He was named Second Team All-Greater Western Ohio Conference as a junior and First Team All-GWOC as a senior. Davis made 123 tackles and picked off two passes in his senior campaign (2010). ... DB Josh Remark notched a career-high with seven tackles at Marian. He has now made 27 stops in his NDC career. ... LB BJ CAMDEN made a career-high six stops in the Marian game. He has averaged 4.0 tackles per contest over his first three collegiate games. ... Through three games, Notre Dame's top three tacklers are Bo Grunder (16 solo-13 assists--29 total tackles), DB K'LEN SUTTON (8-9--17) and Remark (11-6--17). ...In career tackles, the program leaders are Grunder (64-59--123), S DERRICK SMITH (37-36--73) and DT BOB HANSEN (37-30--67).

SLY VETERAN IN THE DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: Junior CB SYLVESTER FLOWERS registered his fifth career interception two weeks ago at Walsh. Flowers is the Falcons' career leader in that category. Last week at Marian, he made seven tackles and was credited for half of a tackle for loss. ... The Coral Gables, Fla., native has appeared in all 14 of Notre Dame's games in 2010-11. He has made 65 tackles, has five pass deflections and has recorded two forced fumbles.

HASH MARKS: The Saints allowed an 85-yard TD return in last week's game against Kentucky Wesleyan. … SHU punting thus far in 2011 -- 32.6 yards per attempt on seven kicks. ... Saints PK JONAH HARTER is 1-for-1 on field goals this season. The freshman from Grand Rapids, Mich., made a 20-yarder in SHU's Sept. 10 victory. ... Notre Dame has been whistled for 6.0 penalties per game thus far in 2011. Siena Heights has been flagged 4.5 times per game in its two contests. ... While Pedro Powell is known for his prowess in running the football, the Lakota East High School product has also been a valuable part of the NDC passing attack. Powell has caught 14 passes in as many career games. In this year's opener, he failed to catch at least one pass for the first time since the 2010 opener -- in between Powell logged receptions in 10 straight games. ... Early in the second quarter of last week's game, QB Dak Britt took a snap on third-and-6 and bolted for 33 yards. That run marks the second-longest in the history of the program (Pedro Powell, 59 yards at Central State Oct. 2, 2010). ... The Siena Heights defense has yielded just four rushing first downs over their first two games. Offensively, NDC has averaged 7.0 rushing first downs over their three games.


SIENA HEIGHTS NOTES ...

ABOUT SIENA HEIGHTS:  Siena Heights University was founded as a women's college.  In 1969 the college -- then Siena Heights College -- admitted men for the first time.  In 1998 SHC was renamed Siena Heights University. ... In athletics, SHU sponsors 19 varsity Saint programs (10 men's, nine women's).  Siena Heights is an NAIA institution and a member of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (Mid-States Football Association for Football).

SAINTS FOOTBALL: Siena Heights University announced its approval of plans for th launch of football as a new program in May, 2010.  This season the Saints are playing a part varsity, part developmental season. SHU will begin play as an MSFA member in the fall of 2012. 

SCOUTING THE SAINTS: Siena Heights comes to Lyndhurst riding a two-game win streak.  The Saints won their inaugural game on Sept. 10, defeating Robert Morris (Ill.) by a lopsided final score of 30-7.  Last week (Sept. 17), SHU prevailed, 28-26, in a come-from-behind victory over Kentucky Wesleyan.  For the undefeated Saints, both victories came on the road. ... Over their two victories, the Saints have averaged 350.0 yards per contest while yielding just 205.5. ... Through their first two games, the Saints have done a majority of their damage on the ground.  Siena Heights is averaging 205 yards per game on 48 rushing attempts.  In their two games the Saints have outrun their opponents, 410 yards to 36. ... Individually, FB JONATHAN RUSSELL has led the charge in the Saints' running game.  The 5-foot-11 freshmen has rushed for 141 yards on 17 attempts over two games. Freshmen TB DREW MILLIGAN is the Saints' second-leading rusher, averaging 46 yards per game over SHU's first two contests.  ... Through the air, the Saints are averaging 145 yards per contest, and five of their eight offensive TDs have come via the aerial attack.  SHU quarterbacks have completed 69.6 percent (22-for-33) of their passes while throwing just one interception. ... QB MATT KING has gotten the bulk of the snaps thus far this season.  The sophomore signal caller has completed 71-percent (22-for-31) of his passes and has tossed four TDs without  throwing an interception. ...  Freshmen TE DONOVAN CAMPBELL (five receptions, 59 yards) is the team's leading receiver, although 10 different Saints players have already caught at least one pass..  Campbell has hauled in five passes, and is averaging 29.5 yards per game receiving.  ... Third-down success on both sides of the ball has been key in SHU's two wins.  The Saints have converted 14-of-25 (56.0 percent) such situations on offense while holding foes to a 26.9 percent (7-for-26) mark on the other side of the ball. ... On defense the Saints have found great success in pressuring opposing quarterbacks.  SHU defenders have already recorded 10 sacks on the season.  Freshman LB CHRIS VANN leads the team in both tackles (11) and sacks (four) in the early going.
The SHU defense has not allowed a rushing TD over its first two contests.

SHU LAST WEEK: The Saints rallied from an early 14-0 deficit against Kentucky Wesleyan, coming from behind to defeat the Panthers, 28-26, in Owensboro, Ky. 

WRAPPING UP ...

WHAT'S NEXT: Notre Dame College hosts its second Homecoming Football Game on Saturday, Oct. 1, when the Falcons welcome the Marauders of Central State University to Korb Field (1 p.m. kickoff). ... The Notre Dame-CSU game will be broadcast on the Falcon Football Radio Network and will feature Live Stats online (see NotreDameFalcons.com for details). ... Central State comes into this weekend winless on the season, at 0-3. The Marauders have been outscored, 126-31. … They play Dayton on Saturday, Sept, 24. ... Siena Heights will play the first of five developmental games next weekend. The Saints will be at home against Michigan-Flint.

BANNER BOYS: During Saturday night's pregame festivities, Notre Dame's 2011 NAIA national champion team will be recognized. In March, the Wrestling Falcons captured their second straight national title, becoming the first Ohio institution to win two national titles in wrestling. ... In 2010-11, Notre Dame pulled off a “four-peat” of sorts: the Falcons won both the NAA national title and the prestigious NAIA National Duals in both seasons. NDC is the first NAIA team to claim victories in both the National Championships and the National Duals in consecutive years. The NAIA has been part of the National Duals since 2006. ... In the 2010-11 season, Falcon grapplers combined to win 27 individual tournament titles and as a team Notre Dame won four times.