SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – "Notre Dame just finds a way to win."
 
Those were the words spoken by the Notre Dame College and ESPN Cleveland play-by-play announcer Eric Little after Saturday's game. In a 45-14 victory, it's not a statement you could make without being at Mueller Field and seeing the Falcons play every game in person this season.
 
After coming back from three first-half deficits in weeks four, five and six, and winning in week seven by blocking a punt, forcing four turnovers (including a pick six), throwing three passing touchdowns inside the 10-yard line (and another in that went for 85 yards), playing the second half without its best playmaker and not having a 100-yard rusher for the first time this season, saying Notre Dame just finds a way to win is completely warranted.
 
NDC started its game against Urbana University off strong as Cedric Lynch intercepted a pass on the fourth play of the game, but the offense couldn't convert on its first drive. On their second go, however, the Falcons made use of a 12-play, 79-yard drive to score on a field goal. The 27-yard make from Tanner Harding put the home team up 3-0.
 
Then, after the teams traded a pair of drives ending in punts, the Blue Knights scored their first points of the contest on a three-yard touchdown pass.
 
Trailing 7-3, the Falcons were able to score twice in the final six minutes of the game with the first touchdown coming on a two-yard rush from Jaleel McLaughlin and the second on an athletic grab from Marvelle Ross. Ross's two-yard TD snag came with just eight second to go in the second quarter and put Notre Dame up 17-7 at halftime.
 
McLaughlin was able to score his 12th rushing touchdown of the season, tying a record set by Ladennyawn Greene in 2015, before exiting the game with an injury.
 
Ross would later score the final touchdown of the game on a four-yard reception he once again made in the end zone. Head coach Mike Jacobs compared Ross to Cris Carter after the game saying all he does is catch touchdowns as the team's leading receiver had two receptions for two TDs. Jacobs said it was good matchups that allowed his team to pass so close to the goal line with success.
 
"With us running the ball as we have, teams load the box," Jacobs said. "When it's compacted even more in the red zone and we get into one-on-one situations we know we have a special talent out there to exploit that. I think he presents a matchup issue for folks and we try to utilize those things."
 
The McLaughlin touchdown was set up by a punt block made by tight end Zaire Mitchell. Mitchell, at six-foot-seven, jumped up over the second group of UU blockers to make the block look easy after he noticed something in the Urbana scheme.
 
"Before the play even started I told Austin Treneff that their blockers were backing up into their punter so I was going to jump up and leap forward," Mitchell said.
 
Having that awareness and ability to adjust did not surprise Coach Jacobs as his team has proven to be an observant group.
 
"It says a lot about our players," Jacobs said. "I find this team to be more dialed in and focused throughout the course of games. We get good feedback from them on the sideline, which has allowed us to make adjustments in the second half at different points. That's a guy dialed in to what he's seeing in film and on game day, and that's awesome."
 
After getting things moving at the end of the first half, the Falcons opened up the third quarter with a touchdown drive that ended on an eight-yard pass from Chris Brimm to Markus Hood.
 
"Hood is really consistent," Jacobs said. "He's another guy that makes a lot of great blocks for us in the run game, but the catches he has move the sticks. He seems to always come up in critical times. He continues to do the grunt work and he's a great team player."
 
Urbana would match Notre Dame's touchdown later in the third quarter with a one-handed catch from Craig Burt in the end zone, but that would be the end of scoring for the Blue Knights.
 
On the following possession, Brimm and Zaire Mitchell connected for an 85-yard touchdown pass, recording the third-longest pass completion in NDC history. Mitchell, on the next offensive play for Notre Dame, would become the lead blocker on a 65-yard run by Conner Henry. The sophomore from Rockville, Md. said he prides himself in being able to both block and catch as many tight ends are one dimensional.
 
"We talk about the success of our offensive linemen when we run the football, but Z is almost like the sixth member of that group," Jacobs said. "For him to get a big pass play today and display that he can run and catch as well is really nice to see. We think he's a really special talent."
 
Mitchell is the second-leading receiver on the team with 11 receptions for 178 yards and two touchdowns this season. He also had a TD grab called back against Fairmont State. He credits his relationship with Brimm on their ability to link up.
 
"Last year Chris and I were suite mates and every day in the hallway we would throw the ball to each other," Mitchell said. "We have that deep connection and chemistry."
 
In the final minute of the third quarter, Tre'von Slater tacked on more points after intercepting a pass and returning it 18-yards to pay dirt. It was Slater's second pick of the day.
 
Junior captain Curtis Collins, who led the team with 13 tackles, said the defense came out in the second half ready to make a statement. The starting group only allowed 79 yards on five drives in the second half.
 
"In the first half we were just trying to figure them out and see what they were going to do against us," Collins said. "In the second half, we just wanted to put our foot down and not let up."
 
Jacobs credited his coaching staff on both the offensive and defensive ends for their second-half adjustments the team has made in the past few weeks. NDC has outscored their opponents by 100 points (121-21) in the second halves of the past four games.
 
"We're up for every game at the start, but the way things have evolved has allowed us to make sound and solid adjustments," Jacobs said.
 
Brimm totaled 189 yards and four touchdowns through the air on 24 attempts, becoming just the third Falcon to throw for four or more TDs in a game. Mitchell gained nearly half of the receiving yards with 91 on two catches. McLaughlin managed 75 yards on 14 carries to lead the team in rushing.
 
Collins also led the team with five solo stops and earned one tackle for a loss while RJ Goodwin and Sha'haun Williams came up with seven tackles each. Williams recorded a sack to move his season mark to 7.5. Derrick Brumfield came up with two big plays as he made a tackle for a loss and a fumble recovery that he also ripped from the ball carrier's hands.
 
Notre Dame now sits atop the Mountain East Conference at 7-0 while every other team in the league has at least two losses.
 
"It feels good," Collins said. "It feels good to show people we're one of the better teams in the conference. It feels good to show people all our hard work in the offseason that's coming together. We're blessed to be here."
 
The Falcons will travel to West Virginia Wesleyan next week on Saturday, October 20, to seek payback from their 20-13 home loss suffered last season.