LYNDHURST, Ohio -- The Falcons found the win column for a third time this season and for the second time in as many weeks, as Notre Dame defeated Central State, 34-16, on Saturday.  (Box)
 
Notre Dame (3-2) got 124 rushing yards from running back Pedro Powell and two touchdown passes from quarterback Rob Partridge as NDC won consecutive games for the first time in its history
 
The victory over Central State (0-5) marked the Falcons' first in a Notre Dame Homecoming Game.   With the win, NDC has a won-loss record over .500 for a first time in program history.
 
Notre Dame's defense allowed just 265 total yards in a game that saw the Falcons score 27 unanswered points after falling behind, 7-0.  The Falcons got scores from their defense and special teams en route to posting a program-record 34 points.
 
“It was great scores in all phases of the game,” said Notre Dame Head Coach Adam Howard, whose Falcons also beat Central State last season.  “Offensively, we had some miscues in the second half, but I thought the guys rebounded to control the clock late like we needed to.”
 
The Marauders and Falcons traded missed field-goal attempts on their opening drives in the first.  Central State had a 35-yard field goal blocked after a 6-minute-17-second drive stalled in NDC territory.  The Falcons answered with a short drive which resulted in a botched snap-and-hold on a 45-yard attempt.
 
Central State took a 7-0 lead on their second drive of the day when tailback Michael Wilson found paydirt on a 14-yard run.
 
Notre Dame countered with a nice drive of four minutes-plus.  That drive was extended with a big play on fourth-and-9 at the CSU 31 that was converted on a Rob Partridge-to-Randy Greenwood pass play.  The drive short-circuited on the 13th play of the 37-yard march when Partridge fumbled.
 
The Falcons signal caller redeemed himself on NDC's next drive.  Partridge used his legs on a 22-yard pickup on a third-and-long and then tossed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jack Foy.  The Falcons failed on a kick conversion, giving Central State a 7-6 lead midway through the second quarter.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, Jake Adkins forced a fumble which Brandon Hummer recovered, giving the Blue & White the football at the CSU 30.  Two plays later, Partridge found Michael Fields at the 5-yard line.  Fields found his way behind the Marauder defense and worked his way into the end zone.  With a successful conversion, that TD put the Falcons up, 13-7.
 
Notre Dame then opened up a 13-point lead when Powell capped off a five-play, 59-yard drive with a 6-yard run at 2:04.  Powell rolled up 68 yards in an opening half that saw the Falcons post 18 first downs.
 
The two sides went into halftime with the score: Notre Dame 20, Central State 7.
 
The Falcons went up, 27-7, at 4:40 in the third quarter when Bo Grunder zig-zagged his way 48 yards for the first punt return TD in NDC history.
 
That program first was followed by another when Zach Trumble rambled 17 yards across the goal line on a fumble return early in the fourth.
 
CSU broke its scoring drought when Gracewell Mahbena hit a 32-yard field goal at 11:01 in the fourth.  At the 6:32-mark, the Marauders made it a 34-16 game when they forced a Khalid White fumble that was returned 35 yards for a TD.  That defensive touchdown closed out the scoring for the game.
 
Powell garnered his 124 yards on a busy afternoon in what was a chilly and rainy Korb Field on Saturday.  The Liberty, Ohio, native had his number called a season-high 27 times.  Powell has now twice been an oft-used weapon for Notre Dame when the Falcons face the Marauders.  He set still-standing single-game program records in carries (39) and rushing yards (236) when the two teams met last season (16-13 NDC win on Oct. 2, 2010).
 
Partridge went 8-of-17 for 103 yards, but Notre Dame relied heavily on its rushing game throughout.  Powell and compny combined for 170 rushing yards on 50 attempts.
 
“As a team, we did a lot of things well today,” noted Howard.  “Now we need to retain this momentum for next week and beyond.”