This Week: Notre Dame College host Fairmont State University in the Falcon Bowl on Saturday, September 21. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. 

Records: Notre Dame is 2-0 (2-0 MEC) after a 43-24 Thursday-night win at West Liberty. Fairmont State is 1-1 (1-1 MEC) after a big 53-10 win at home last week.

Coaches Corner: Mike Jacobs is in his fourth year as the head coach of the NDC football program. He has an overall record of 32-6 (28-4 MEC). In 2018, Jacobs was named MEC, Regional and National Coach of the Year. Jason Woodman is in his seventh season at Fairmont State. Woodman holds a record of 40-26 (37-24 MEC), including a 28-8 record since 2016.

Rankings: Notre Dame was ranked No. 5 in the AFCA Coaches' Poll released September 16. The Falcons moved down one spot from the previous week's poll. Fairmont State received one point in the voting.

Series History: Notre Dame and Fairmont State have split the series dubbed the Falcon Bowl since play between the teams began in 2010. NDC will look to be the first team to win three-straight in the series after FSU won in 2015 and 2016 and Notre Dame came out on top the past two years. Since the formation of the Mountain East Conference in 2013, these games have all been decided by an average of 5.6 points. Only once since 2013 has a decision been made by more than one possession (nine points in 2015). Over the past three seasons, the final has been within five points, including a three-point difference in 2018.

Noting the Falcons: This is the fourth time Notre Dame has started a season off 2-0 since joining the NCAA Division II ranks prior to the 2012 season. These strong starts have been good omens for the Falcons. In 2014, NDC had its best season to date, finishing 7-4. In 2016, the Falcons beat that mark with a 9-2 record in head coach Mike Jacobs first season. Again, last season, Notre Dame bested itself with an 11-0 regular season and 13-1 overall record after going to the NCAA DII Semifinals.

Noting the Fighting Falcons: Fairmont State began the season as the No. 25 ranked team in the country, but lost in Week 1 to Charleston on the road. The Fighting Falcons went into halftime at UC trailing 35-3, but came out in the second half to make the game tight. Ultimately, FSU lost 42-39. Fairmont State rolled that second half at UC into its play in Week 2 with a 53-10 routing of Wheeling in the Cardinals second-ever NCAA DII contest. Even though there have only been two game for each team, the Falcon Bowl is set up to challenge the best of what both teams have been doing in 2019. Fairmont State ranks first in the MEC in scoring offense with 46.0 points per game, but Notre Dame ranks first in scoring defense, allowing just 17.0 points per game. FSU leads the league in rushing (294.0 yards per game) while Notre Dame ranks second in rushing defense (37.5). Similarly, in the category of total offense, Fairmont State leads the MEC with 585.0 yards on average while NDC ranks second in the conference in total defense with just 248.5 yards allowed on average. Fairmont State is first in punting with an average punt traveling 39.3 yards while NDC leads the MEC in punt return average with 14.2 yards per return. Fairmont State ranks second in passing efficiency (170.3), but will face the top ranked pass efficiency defense in Notre Dame (99.1). FSU also leads the league in both first downs (51) and third-down conversion percentage (53.6), but of course Notre Dame leads in the defensive categories in both instances (28 first downs allowed; 28.6 opponent third-down conversion percentage).

Breaking the Ties: Notre Dame has proven itself a powerhouse in the Mountain East Conference after becoming just one of two teams still in the MEC to have won the league. After Shepherd left the MEC for the PSAC, the Falcons and Concord are the only teams remaining to have come out on top. With its dominance over the past few years, NDC now has a winning record against a majority of the teams in the conference. The Falcons have yet to play Frostburg State or Wheeling in football as this is both teams first year in NCAA DII. Notre Dame has three series currently sitting at a 3-3 tie. NDC is currently locked with Fairmont State, Glenville State and Charleston. The journey to hold a winning record against every team in the conference starts this week against FSU.

A Case In Points: There are currently just four players with 20 or more points scored in the Mountain East Conference and Notre Dame has two of them. Tied for the most points scored this season is Jaleel McLaughlin, whose four touchdowns leads the league (you must possess the ball to be responsible for scored points, i.e. passing TDs do not count, but receiving, rushing, returning TDs do). McLaughlin's 24 points is tied with West Liberty's Thomas Cole. Tanner Harding ranks third in scoring with 22 points on seven extra points and five field goals.

Beginning Again: After leading the country in rushing and all-purpose yards as a true freshman, Jaleel McLaughlin is leading the NCAA Division II in both categories again to start the 2019 season. McLaughlin ran for 258 yards against West Liberty last week (he was named the MEC Offensive Player of the Week with an added three touchdowns) to bring his season total up to 424 yards. That mark is atop the rushing leaders by 64 yards. McLaughlin also ranks second in all-purpose yards with 446. Currently leading Division II in all-purpose yards is Santo Dunn from Morehouse. Dunn has totaled 467 yards this season, but Morehouse has also played in three games to NDC's two.

Mr. 3000: Sophomore running back Jaleel McLaughlin needs just 155 rushing yards to be the first player in NDC's NCAA Division II history to reach 3,000 yards. This week will be his 17th career game.