LYNDHURST, Ohio -- The Notre Dame Falcons -- winless in five attempts at home a year ago -- are now 3-0 at home in 2011.  They can make that claim on Sunday morning courtesy an impressive 45 win over St. Joseph's (Ind.) on Saturday afternoon. (Box)

[Postgame Notes]

The Falcons (4-2) doubled their 2010 win total and scored 30 points for a third consecutive week, as NDC closed out a three-game home stretch in front of 864 fans at a sun-drenched Korb Field.  St. Joseph's (1-5) jumped out to a 14-0 lead and then watched as the Falcons did a 45-point fly-by.

Sophomore running back Pedro Powell raced for 168 yards and scored a program-record three TDs, and sophomore quarterback Rob Partridge went 23-of-37 and tossed three TDs.  The victory spelled a reprisal for NDC: the Pumas ambushed the Falcons, 37-7, last year in Rensselaer, Ind. (Oct. 9, 2010).

“We did a lot of things well and had a good game coming off what I think is the best week of practices since I've been here,” said Head Coach Adam Howard.  “We showed good balance and some big-ply ability on offense.  On defense we made some nice stops, forcing a lot of punts and a few turnovers.  That won us some good field position and a lot of momentum.”

St. Joseph's scored first when they marched 66 yards on an impressive 12-play drive to start the game.  Cameron Crabtree capped off the five-minute-and 56-second drive.

SJC scored a second TD less than a minute later after Notre Dame fumbled on its first play from scrimmage.  That touchdown was scored on a 7-yard run by Julius Johnson and it had NDC down, 14-0, just seven minutes into play.

Notre Dame's offense fell flat in the first.  The Falcons followed up their first-play fumble with three-and-outs on each of their next two drives.  NDC was able to move the ball late in the first, but that drive was short-circuited by another fumble.  The fumble came on the last play of the quarter, a period that saw the Falcons outgained, 88 yards to 34.

In the second quarter NDC got on the board after the Falcon defense forced a fumble in the shadow of the Puma end zone. It took Notre Dame just one play to punch the ball across the goal line; they did so when Rob Partridge threw a 5-yard jump ball to Keifer Titus in the right corner of the end zone.

The Falcon offense produced a field goal on the final drive of the first half.  NDC orchestrated a 10-play, 55-yard drive in just over one minute.  The field goal -- a 23-yard chip shot by Chris McClearn -- sent Notre Dame into halftime down 14-10.

The second half was all-NDC. Powell scored Notre Dame's second touchdown of the afternoon when he caught a 7-yard pass from Partridge to cap off what was the first drive of the second half. Powell then ran for a 3-yard score to cap off a 13-play, 81-yard drive at the 4:22-mark in the third.  After the Falcons took over on downs at their own 25 late in the third, it was Powell again, this time on a 75-yard dash to the goal line for his record-breaking third TD of the day.

Notre Dame piled up 11 first downs in the decisive third quarter; they finished with a program-record 25 for the game, breaking the record-23 they had posted just last week.

In the fourth quarter NDC found paydirt twice -- on a 10-yard, Partridge-to-Michael Fields pass and on a Shawn Riley 3-yard run -- en route to setting a program record for points scored (45).  With the 45 points, the Falcons have now scored 30-plus in each of the last three games.  Over that stretch, the team has scored 109 points.  In the first of those three games -- a 30-6 win over Siena Heights (Mich.) -- NDC compiled a program-record 472 total yards.  On Saturday the Falcons had a balanced 229 yards on the ground and 232 through the air.

Fields and Travis Hernandez had career days in making catches and moving the chains for NDC.  Fields notched a personal-best eight catches on the day.  Hernandez had a career-best seven.

The Notre Dame defense was at-times outstanding in making big plays and was consistent in making key stops on third down.  The Falcons forced four turnovers and were a plus-two in turnover margin.  The Blue & White held the Pumas to a lowly 3-of-18 mark on third-and fourth-down conversions.

NDC was 6-of-13 on third downs and 6-of-6 in a half-dozen trips to the red zone.

Sylvester Flowers was Notre Dame's top tackler; he finished with nine stops.  Hayden Davis had seven.  Flowers and Davis each had six solo tackles among their stops.  Sophomore safety Bo Grunder had a program-single-game record two interceptions.

Still unbeaten at home this season, the 4-2 Falcons will now head on the road for two.  In the first of those two road tilts, Notre Dame will be at Ave Maria (Fla.) on Oct. 15.