WOOSTER, Ohio -- Notre Dame piled up 625 total yards and hit the 40-point mark for the fourth time in five games, as the Falcons defeated Wooster, 41-18, on Sunday afternoon. The victory in what was the Falcons' second road game runs Notre Dame's season record to 5-0. (Box)

Quarterback #Kyle Shaffer# tossed four touchdown passes and was 19-for-31 for 343 yards to lead the Falcons through the air. Running back #Tim Donald# led an NDC ground corps that added 271 yards over the artificial surface of Wooster's John P. Papp Stadium. Donald scampered for 152 yards on 13 carries.

Those gaudy numbers outshone complications caused by 15 penalties and five turnovers committed by NDC.

“There were ups and downs today,” said Head Coach #Adam Howard#. “But overall, we took a step forward I thought. We did a lot of things well in most phases of the game.”

Those miscues were evident early on as a false start penalty and a fumble by Donald short-circuited the Falcons' first drive of the day. The junior varsity squad for Wooster capitalized on the turnover with a 29-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead at 12:16 in the first.

Notre Dame answered with a quick-strike touchdown to take a 7-3 lead on their next drive. Wide receiver #Marlon Gillis# ran under an arching pass by Shaffer to score a 30-yard touchdown to cap off a three-play, 57-second drive.

The Falcons then forced a Wooster fumble on the next play from scrimmage and ran their lead to 14-3 when Shaffer hit #Steven Yung# with an 18-yarder at 10:28. By that point in the game, the Falcons' freshman quarterback was already well on his way to his best afternoon since being named Notre Dame's starter before the Case Western Reserve game (Sept. 27). He would finish with four touchdowns against just one interception, playing behind an offensive line that allowed him to be sacked just once.

The second quarter of the game started with the Fighting Scots pinning NDC back at their own 8-yard line after a punt. And once again, the Falcons struck quickly. This time, the rapid response to pressure came in the form of a 92-yard run up the left sideline by Donald. That run, and an extra point by placekicker #Andrew Carr#, put the Blue & White up, 21-3.

Wooster added another field goal midway through the second, and the Falcons took a 21-6 lead into halftime. In that first half, Notre Dame's first-year team exhibited a little bit of everything. On the upside, the Falcons outgained the Fighting Scots, 334 yards to 153; on the downside, NDC committed 12 penalties for 98 yards and fumbled four times.

“In that first half, we made a lot of mistakes that a young team makes,” said Howard. “But we can do better than that, and really in the second half we were more sound. This game is another learning experience for our guys.”

The Fighting Scots started off the second half with a six-play, 65-yard scoring drive which was capped off by a 23-yard touchdown run. That play, followed by a failed two-point conversion, had the home squad down none, 21-12, with 27 minutes of play remaining. But once again, Notre Dame counterpunched.

On their next two drives, the Falcons ran a combined 17 plays and gained 166 yards, showing balance both in their play-calling and on their roster. On the first of those drives, running back #Ricky Stevens# had a nice 10-yard run and Shaffer went 4-for-5, including a 32-yard touchdown throw to Yung, who had his best game this season, with 123 yards on six catches.

On the second of those drives, a 10-play, 89-yard march using an array of running and passing plays, Shaffer connected with Gillis yet again, this time on a 27-yard touchdown toss over the middle of the Wooster defense. That touchdown, Gillis' fifth of the season, put the Falcons in a more comfortable position on the Papp Stadium scoreboard - up, 34-12.

Like Yung, Gillis also had a six-catch, 100-yard day; he finished with 104 receiving yards.

In the fourth quarter, the Falcons and Fighting Scots traded touchdowns, putting the final score at Notre Dame 41, Wooster 18. Running back #Michael Booker# accounted for NDC's final score, with a 69-yard touchdown dash. Booker was NDC's second-leading rusher on the afternoon; he ran for 81 yards on seven carries. For the game, the Blue & White rushed for 271 yards on 33 attempts (8.2 yards per carry).

The Notre Dame defense was led by defensive backs #Matt Cuthbert# (six tackles, fumble recovery), #Derrick Smith# (five tackles) and #Charlie Williams# (five tackles, two passes broken up). As a team, NDC broke up eight passes among the 42 attempted by Wooster. The Falcons also garnered eight tackles for loss and had four sacks.

“We rotated two defensive units in and out the entire game with no real letdown,” said Howard of the Falcon defense on Sunday. “As for our offense, they continue to make explosive plays. We're really starting to play with an unselfish attitude. We do need to do a better job securing the football and minimizing our penalties to take another step forward next week against a quality Ashland team.”

That Ashland game is the next on the schedule for Notre Dame. The Falcons will take on the Eagles in Ashland, Ohio, on Monday, Oct. 19.