Box Score
ALLENDALE, MICH. -- Notre Dame fell to ranked Grand Valley State (Mich.), 83-46, on Saturday night.

The No. 4 (D2football.com) Lakers (2-0) took advantage of four NDC turnovers in piling up 12 touchdowns in a 129-point shootout.  The Falcons (1-1) outgained the Lakers in total yardage, 641 yards to 599.

Sophomore quarterback Ray Russ went 24-for-32 for 278 yards, and running back Pedro Powell ran for 240 yards and four touchdowns, as the Falcons exhibited a high-octane offense for a second week in a row.  The Blue & White have scored 101 points over their first two games this season.

For Notre Dame the contest marked the program's debut in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, a league that Grand Valley State has dominated since 2001. 

GVSU -- winners of six of the last seven GLIAC titles -- broke a 14-14 tie with three straight touchdowns beginning at the 12:20-mark in the second quarter.  The Lakers would eventually go into halftime with a 48-27 lead.

With the two teams exchanging blows throughout, Notre Dame got within 15 points of the host Lakers when Karl Jean ran in a 9-yarder midway through the third quarter.  But Grand Valley countered with two TD drives and then an 82-yard fumble recovery return for a TD.  They led, 76-40, and then closed out the game with the 37-point win after NDC and GVSU traded rushing TDs over the final four minutes.

The final numbers told the story of a game where the final score was obscured by turnovers (NDC was a minus-four) and a game that saw the Falcons go toe-to-toe with a ranked team for the first time in program history.

NDC finished with program records in first downs (35) and total yards (641) in an offensive performance that was marked by balance, depth and a big lift from the offensive line.  Russ and back-up quarterback James Flowers spread 25 pass completions around to seven different receivers.  Freshman Brandon Watkins caught a team-high seven passes.  Watkins also picked up 45 yards and a TD on the ground.

Pedro Powell did his 240 yards of damage on 27 carries, and he scored a program-record four touchdowns in the game.  Powell has now rushed for 483 in two games this season.  Karl Jean collected 51 yards on 10 carries.

For Grand Valley -- which scored on 12-of-12 possessions in the game -- running back Chris Robinson banged his way to 107 yards and four TDs on 19 carries.  Robinson was one of four GVSU backs to rush for 40 yards or more.  Laker quarterback Heath Parling completed 21 passes on 31 attempts.  He racked up 307 passing yards, and four of his 21 completions resulted in touchdowns.

The end result was a 129-point football game played in front of the second-largest crowd in Lubbers Stadium history (15,139) … and a wild start to Notre Dame's play as an affiliate GLIAC member.

The balance of NDC's 2012 season will also be GLIAC affairs, the next of which is slated for Sept. 15, when the Falcons host the Timberwolves of Northwood University (Mich.).