This Week: The Notre Dame College football team hosts West Virginia State University on Saturday, September 15. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.
Records: Notre Dame College is 2-0 (2-0 MEC) after a 27-17 win at Glenville State last week. West Virginia State University is 1-1 (1-1 MEC) after a 33-12 home win in week two against UVa-Wise.
Coaches Corner: Mike Jacobs is in his third year as the head coach of the NDC football program. He has an overall record of 19-5 (18-4 MEC). John Pennington took over the WVSU program last season and led the Yellow Jackets to its first winning season in a decade. He is 7-5 overall with a 6-6 MEC record.
Rankings: Notre Dame received 54 points in the September 10 AFCA Coaches' Poll, finishing just four spots outside the top 25.
Series History: The Falcons currently lead the Yellow Jackets 4-1 after winning the last two seasons. A 32-29 defeat in 2015 marks the lone loss for NDC in the series, but head coach
Mike Jacobs has rebounded his team since then with a 2-0 record against WVSU. In his two seasons at the helm, Jacobs's teams have put up some points with a 48-21 victory in 2016 and a 47-35 win last year. In the 2017 game, the Falcons threw the ball just nine times while attempting 53 rushes.
Noting the Falcons: The first half has been of major importance for Notre Dame since
Mike Jacobs took over as head coach. Sixteen of Jacobs's 19 wins have come after winning the first half. But in the last nine games, dating back to season, the Falcons have been outscored in eight second-half battles, including both games this year. In the first four games of 2017, before DJ Greene went down with an injury, the Falcons averaged 26.8 points in the second half. In the final seven games, without Greene, NDC only averaged 7.7 points in the second half. This season, Notre Dame has been outscored 38-28 in the last two quarters of its games, but have dominated the opening halves, outscoring teams 34-12.
Noting the Yellow Jackets: West Virginia State was able to capitalize on turnovers last week in its 33-12 win against UVa-Wise. The Yellow Jackets force five turnovers, including three interceptions in week two. WVSU has won four of its last five game in which it won the turnover battle. The team has also lost four of its last five game in which it lost the turnover ratio, including last season's game against NDC.
That 70s Show: Freshman running back
Jaleel McLaughlin scored a 73-yard touchdown run last week against Glenville State, making each of his first three career touchdowns runs of 70+ yards. In week one, McLaughlin scored on 75- and 76-yard rushes. The Marshville, N.C. native is already making a name for himself in the MEC, earning Offensive Player of the Week honors in both week one and two.
By the Numbers
2.0: Yards per carry Notre Dame has allowed opponents. This is the best mark in the Mountain East by 1.8 yards. NDC has allowed just 106 rushing yards in two games. The Falcons allowed just 25 yards on the ground against Glenville State.
6.7: Yards per carry Notre Dame has gained in its running game this year. The next closest team in the MEC is Charleston with 5.4. NDC and Charleston are the only teams in the conference with more than 500 yards after two weeks.
7: Turnovers gained by the Falcons this year with West Virginia State close behind with six. Both teams have lost just two turnovers.
37.5: Percentage of times offenses have scored against NDC this season when making it to the red zone. Teams have scored on just three of eight trips this season. The Falcons are the only MEC team with a mark under 50 percent.
