Box Score MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. – The Notre Dame Falcons went toe-to-toe with an NCAA-I FCS opponent in Robert Morris on Saturday afternoon, but in the end, came up just short in a 35-24 loss.
The loss for the Falcons (1-2) was their second on the road this season, while the victory for the Colonials (1-2) was their second since the start of the 2014 season.
After the Colonials took an early 21-0 lead, the Falcons came storming back, and scored 24 straight points to take a 24-21 lead into the half, before the Colonials pulled away with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns.
Things did not start well for the Falcons, as they fell into a 21-0 hole early on. The first quarter was dominated by the Colonials, where they picked up seven first downs, without allowing the Falcons to pick one up at all. In addition, they outgained NDC, 108-16 in total offense.
Robert Morris scored on their opening drive, on quarterback Mathew Barr's one-yard touchdown rush, and then scored with 16 seconds left in the first quarter, on Warren Robinson's 66-yard punt return for a touchdown.
The Colonials then took a 21-0 lead after Barr found Kyle Buss on a 26-yard touchdown pass with 14:24 remaining in the second quarter, which is where the Falcons took over.
From that point forward, Notre Dame didn't allow the Colonials to convert on another third down conversion (0-for-5) through the remainder of the half, and NDC scored the next 24 points to take the lead.
Notre Dame's first score of the game came at the end of an 11-play, 75 yard drive, as
Malik Grove fired a nine-yard touchdown pass to CJ Germany to put the Falcons on the board with 11:05 left in the half.
On Robert Morris's ensuing drive,
Onslow Williams picked off a pass and returned it 38 yards to the RMU 26 yard line. Notre Dame was able to get three points after the turnover, as
Kyle Kaplan hit his first field goal of the season, a 25-yarder to bring NDC within 11 (21-10) with 7:36 remaining.
Grove found Germany on another scoring strike four minutes later, as he hit him on a 45-yard touchdown pass with 3:20 left to bring the Falcons within four (21-17).
Notre Dame then took the lead, as Grove threw his third touchdown pass of the game, a 51-yarder to
Mitchell Shegos down the sideline to give the Falcons their only lead of the contest with 1:16 remaining in the half.
Unfortunately for the Falcons, they would not score again. Both teams struggled offensively in a scoreless third quarter, before the Colonials took a 28-24 lead on Barr's two-yard touchdown rush with 11:17 to play.
After forcing the Colonials to punt inside of two minutes to play, the Falcons began a drive without any timeouts at their own 10 yard line, and three plays into the drive, Forrest Mason intercepted a pass off a deflection, returning it nine yards for a touchdown with just over a minute remaining.
Notre Dame turned in a nice collective effort defensively, as four Falcons tallied double digit tackles, and they had three sacks as well.
Darius James led the way with 2.5 sacks, while two Falcons,
George Berry and
Zach Chatlain had 17 tackles each. The Falcons have 12 sacks through three games this season.
Groved led the Falcons on the ground and through the air. He ran for 47 yards on 13 carries, and threw for 248 yards on 17-of-36 attempts with three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. Shegos caught five passes for 91 yards to lead all NDC receivers, while Germany hauled in four passes for 66 yards.
The Falcons are in action again on Saturday, Sept. 26, when they return to MEC action, as they hit the road for a second week in a row, for a clash with No. 19 Shepherd, in Shepherdstown, W.Va. Kickoff is scheduled for Noon.
