This Week: Notre Dame College begins the 2021 season on Sept. 4 as they host Ashland University on Mueller Field. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m.

Records: Notre Dame went 5-0 in a shortened 2020 season, played in the spring of 2021. The Falcons won the Mountain East Conference trophy in the first conference championship game in MEC history, defeating Charleston, 51-34, on April 17. Ashland did not play last season, but in 2019, the Eagles went 7-4 (6-2 GLIAC).

Coaches Corner: Mickey Mental is in his second season as head coach of the NDC football program. He was awarded MEC Coach of the Year after leading the Falcons to an undefeated 2020 season. Lee Owens has been at Ashland for 17 years and has a record of 122-54.

Rankings: In the preaseason polls, Notre Dame is ranked No. 9 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Divsion II top 25, No. 10 in the D2Football.com top 25 and No. 5 in the College Football America Yearbook. This will be the 21st consecutive week that NDC is featured in a Division II National Poll. Ashland is receiving votes in the AFCA poll.

Series History: A very brief series history includes one matchup, back in 2012. To end that season, AU came away with a 65-0 victory. Both teams were playing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) at that time.
 
Noting the Falcons: NDC defeated the University of Charleston in the 2020 MEC Championship game by a score of 51-34. Throughout the season, the Falcons outscored their opponents by an average 38.6 points per game. The offense ranked in the top 25 in NCAA Division II with 306.4 rushing yards per game (2nd), 54 points per game (3rd), 499.2 yards of total offense per game (5th), 105 first downs (7th), a 62.9 completion percentage (8th), a 42.1 third down conversion percentage (16th), scored on 95.2-percent trips to the red zone (10th) and had 14.6 passing yards per completion (17th).

Along with the staggering numbers put up by the offense, the defense made their presence known. They allowed just 15.4 points per game. The defense was best in NCAA Division II with four defensive touchdowns and seven fumble recoveries. They ranked in the top 25 with 15 turnovers gained (2nd), eight passes intercepted (4th), allowing 245.4 yards per game (6th), allowing a 26.7-percent completion percentage on third downs (7th), allowing 84.4 rushing yards per game (8th), allowing a 25-percent completion percentage on fourth downs (11th) and allowing 161 passing yards per game (14th).

On special teams, the Falcons ranked fourth in the country in kickoff return yardage with 29.2 yards per game, ninth in punt return yards with 13.5 per game and 14th in kickoff return defense, allowing just 15.5 yards per game.

A program record 22 players were named to one of the All-MEC teams after the season. Tanner Harding and Nathan Moore earned Academic All-Region honors and were later named Academic All-Americans.
 
Notre Dame College returns many of its starters from last season. In fact, the entire offensive line returns to protect Chris Brimm, who enters his fourth season as the starting quarterback. Last season, Brimm threw for 11 touchdowns, 909 yards and 181.8 yards through the air and he was named All-MEC Second Team. In his career, he has thrown for 58 passing touchdowns and has averaged 185.9 pass yards per game, putting him third at NDC in both categories. Aside from All-MEC First Team member junior Nick Beans, the offensive line unit is made up of seniors. Brandon Nicholson and Jimmy Burchett are both All-Americans, Michael Kyle has an All-Region award and Adam Riegler has been recognized on the All-MEC teams, twice. The receiving corps also brings back some talented players in Devanaire Conliffe, Davis Patterson, Jeremy Hamilton, Napoleon Harris and Markus Hood. Conliffe, who transferred in from Ohio Dominican before last season, was a force for the Falcons. He had 15 catches for 349 yards and six touchdowns, leading the Falcons by a decent margin in most receiving statistics. On the defensive side, Nathan Moore (22 solo, 21 assisted, 43 total), Guam Lee (14 solo, 13 assisted, 27 total), Dylan Spaeth (14 solo, 13 assisted, 27 total) and Tavon Hooks (15 solo, 6 assisted, 21 total) ranked in the top four on the team in tackles and they all return. Bryce Sheppert had four interceptions and six pass break ups in five games last year and he is back. Special teams will return All-Region and All-MEC First Team kicker Tanner Harding, All-MEC honoree punter Dominic Buttazzoni and long snapper Zach Frye. Andre Allen Jr. was an All-MEC member for his work in the kick return game, which included a touchdown return in the MEC Championship game.

Tyris Dickerson takes over the starting running back spot. Dickerson did not play last season and transferred from Eastern Kentucky

Noting the Eagles: This is Ashland's first season in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC). They were picked to finish fourth in the GMAC Preseason Poll.

Sophomore running back Gei'vonni Washington had the best freshman rushing campaign in program history. He rushed for 1,205 yards and nine touchdowns on 264 carries. He enters 2021 with eight straight 100-yard rushing games, and in those games, he averaged 28 carries for 134 yards.

Back in 2019, quarterback Austin Brenner threw for 2,121 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also ran for 746 yards and four touchdowns. He enters the season 10th on the Ashland all-time passing yards list. His top target in 2019 was Logan Bolin who made 53 receptions for 791 yards and six touchdowns.

Ashland brings back a lot of experienced players, they have five sophomores listed as starters on offense and defense, the rest are upperclassmen.

Ashland's Logan Bolin, Brenner and Gavin Posey were named Academic All-District and then Bolin and Posey were named Academic All-Americans last season.