SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Although Notre Dame College football is now 4-0, each week they have displayed different ways to get past their opponents. More records fell on Saturday as Noah Harris-Lyles broke the program and Mountain East Conference single-game record with 4.5 sacks, while the NDC defense took the quarterback down nine times to set a new program mark in a 38-14 victory against West Virginia State University.

Throughout the first quarter, a couple of long drives bled most of the clock. West Virginia State took the opening kickoff and went 44 yards down the field, taking 6:29 off the clock before punting and pinning the Falcons on their own 1-yard line. NDC's first possession was just over five minutes and 81 yards, featuring a 42-yard run by Tyris Dickerson. The drive was capped by a 36-yard field goal off the leg of Tanner Harding.

After both teams traded a few punts, NDC broke through on a drive that began with 10:34 on the second quarter clock. Dickerson started it off with a 15-yard run. He would finish it two plays later, escaping the front line with a spin move and taking it 64-yards to pay dirt.

"Feeling very good, honestly," Dickerson said. "My offensive line did their thing this week. I was able to trust them and we executed the game plan. Whenever you get a game like this, it's a blessing."

The Yellow Jackets put together a nine-play, 45-yard drive, but Guam Lee quickly put an end to that with his first interception of the season, making the catch as he was falling onto his back.

However, Notre Dame's possession was stopped after West Virginia State recovered an NDC fumble. Their offense took the ball 78-yards down the field for a touchdown. WVSU quarterback Drew Chance found Tyrone Lite in the back of the endzone and the Yellow Jackets went into the halftime break trailing the No. 7 Falcons by just three, 10-7.

Dickerson had a season-high 136 rushing yards in the first half, but Brimm was held to just six completions and 53 passing yards.

"I thought [West Virginia State] did a good job controlling the clock and keeping us off rhythm early on," head coach Mickey Mental said, regarding the first half. "Seeing what they like, slowing the clock, limiting possessions in the first half. Credit goes to their staff."

Harris-Lyles already had six tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks after 30 minutes of play.

"All week I had a chip on my shoulder," he said. "I feel like I didn't play as well last week and the week before, I missed. I just wanted to come out here and show what I had in the tank."

Entering Saturday, West Virginia State had been outscored by their opponents 21-0 in the third quarter. The Falcons made halftime adjustments and added to that number.

Following a 26-yard kickoff return by Bryce Sheppert to start the second half, the Falcons marched 51 yards down the field for a touchdown, taking just 2:47 off the clock. A 48-yard connection from Brimm to Davis Patterson set the Falcons up for another Brimm-to-Conliffe touchdown as Brimm threw a perfectly placed ball over the outstretched arm of Gerron Fryer to Devanaire Conliffe, who did not lose sight of the ball and hauled it in.

Following three quick plays, West Virginia State punted and the NDC offense went back to work. Brimm found Patterson on three separate pass plays for 59 total yards. And Dickerson ran the ball in from 12 yards out to give NDC a 24-7 lead with 8:31 to go in the third quarter.

Patterson finished the game with 115 receiving yards.

West Virginia State's only score of the second half came later in the third quarter. After WVSU's Jeffrey Parker forced and recovered a fumble, the Yellow Jackets' offense was set up at NDC's 6-yard line. Three plays later, Dant'e Jones took the direct snap and ran it in to make the score 24-14 with 3:38 remaining in the third.

"Last week was the total opposite, we started fast and in the third quarter, didn't play as efficient as we want to. I thought they flipped the switch this week," Mental said. "I was very proud of how they came out, defensively and offensively and special teams. Taking the opportunity to get better and enhancing our standard. I thought they did a good job raising their energy and attention to detail in the third quarter."

Notre Dame's first drive of the fourth quarter lasted just two plays. Reece Perkins was left wide open down the middle of the field and once Brimm found him, Perkins ran in for the 47-yard score.

The next time WVSU had the ball, Harris-Lyles and Jack Kosko made sure it ended in WVSU territory as they combined for a sack on 3rd and 12. The Yellow Jackets got the ball back after a muffed punt, but Harris-Lyles ended that drive with a sack on 3rd and 10. The field goal attempt was missed.

"We still had to keep our foot on the pedal today and we had to keep getting at the quarterback," Harris-Lyles said.

Harris-Lyles not only broke records with 4.5 sacks, he also tied Claudy Mathieu's 2016 NDC record of 5.5 tackles for loss.

NDC slowly got down the field, after getting the ball with 7:17 on the clock. Dickerson ran seven times, earning his third touchdown of the day on a three-yard run. The big play on the drive was a 43-yard strike from Brimm to Napoleon Harris.

"First couple of weeks was a learning process for me," Dickerson said, who ran for 208 yards on the day. "I just have to get back into the groove, be more patient, trust my blocks, I think I did a good job of that today. They opened the holes for me and I just have to be a running back at that point."

Brimm would finish with 319 passing yards, 266 in the second half, and two touchdowns.

To put an exclamation mark on the game, Sheppert intercepted a pass with less than a minute to go. He is now tied for the program record with nine career interceptions.

"Offensively, this was probably the first game of the year where we were hitting on all cylinders, both in the run game and pass game," Mental added. "Like I always say, credit goes to the guys up front, I thought they did a tremendous job of making holes for Tyris. In the pass game, I thought Chris was really efficient going 15-for-21. I thought our big plays came off of a loaded box and our receivers were able to get behind the defense and make some plays that way. Defensively, the [West Virginia State] running back is really good, they're really well coached. To hold them to 35 rushes for 47 yards, I thought that was the key to game."

Dylan Spaeth finished with a career-high 12 tackles, to go along with a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. Lee added 11 tackles, two sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and now Spaeth and Lee are tied for team lead in tackles with 29.

The Falcons' nine sacks in a game ranks tied for second in MEC history.

Notre Dame sets their sights on the University of Charleston, as they will visit the Golden Eagles on Oct. 2, with a 12 p.m. kickoff.