WACO, Tex. – For the third consecutive season, Notre Dame College football will end the year ranked in the top 10 according to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II top 25 poll. The Falcons never fell below No. 14 throughout the fall 2021 season. (Release)

Notre Dame had an 11-2 record and won a playoff game for the third consecutive season. The program won their fourth straight Mountain East Conference title by going 9-1 in MEC play and they tied a program record with a 7-0 mark on Mueller Field.

The Falcons averaged 40.6 points per game and allowed just 18.3 points per contest. The Falcons defeated two top 25 teams this season. They took down No. 23 Frostburg State on Oct. 9 and then moved past No. 19 Slippery Rock in the first round of the playoffs, on Nov. 20.

The fall 2021 team put up some historic numbers. In terms of Division II top 20 ranks, the NDC defense ranked first in both takeaways (36) and interceptions (21). They also ranked second in the country in defensive touchdowns (6), second in tackles for loss (113), third in turnover margin (1.54), tied for fourth in sacks (44), fifth in fumbles recovered (15), 13th in rushing defense (allowing 91.2 yards per game) and 16th in red zone defense (allowing teams to score just 67.5-percent of the time).

On the offensive side, NDC was tied for fourth in D2 in fewest sacks allowed (8), sixth in scoring offense (40.6), seventh in red zone average (scoring 91.2-percent of the time), 13th in first downs attained (287) and 18th in total offense per game (449.9 yards).

Individual players were recognized as 19 earned All-MEC awards, including the Defensive Player of the Year, Guam Lee. Tanner Harding took CoSIDA's Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® honors, while four players grabbed D2CCA All-Super Region 1 awards and three were named D2CCA All-Americans. Lee and Brandon Nicholson were given First Team All-American awards by the Associated Press and Lee also was recognized by the AFCA as an All-American. Nicholson became the second finalist in program history, and first to place in the top two, for the Gene Upshaw Award, given to the top lineman in Division II. Head coach Mickey Mental was named to the AFCA 35 Under 35 coaches list.

D2Football: According to the D2Football.com poll, Notre Dame was No. 12 in the final rankings.
 

AFCA Coaches Poll Top 10
Rank	School	Record
1.	Ferris St.	14-0
2.	Valdosta St.	12-2
3.	Colorado School of Mines	12-2
4.	Northwest Missouri St.	11-2
5.	Shepherd	13-2
6.	Bowie St.	12-2
7.	Grand Valley St.	10-2
8.	Kutztown	11-2
9.	Notre Dame	11-2
10.	Harding	11-2