This Week: Notre Dame College football hosts Wheeling University in the Falcons' final regular season home game. Prior to the game, Notre Dame's seniors will be honored on the field.

Gameday Information: To find more information on NDC home games, click here.

Records: Notre Dame enters week nine with a 5-3 record, while going 4-3 in MEC play. Last week, the Falcons bounced back from a loss by taking down West Liberty, 40-35. It was only the second time this season that NDC had scored over 31 points in a game and 24 of last Saturday's points were scored in the second half. Wheeling is currently 4-3 (3-3 MEC) and had a bye week last weekend, after losing to Glenville State, 27-13, on Oct. 14. In just their third road game of the season, Wheeling led 13-6 at halftime, but GSU outscored the Cardinals, 21-0, in the second half.

Coaches Corner: Garrett Mack is in his second season at the helm of the NDC football program. He has a record of 14-6 (13-4 MEC). Zac Bruney has been with WU since the program began as a club program in 2018. He holds a record of 29-23 (17-23 MEC).

Rankings: Neither team is receiving votes in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II top 25 poll.

Series History: Notre Dame is 4-0 all-time against Wheeling University. The Falcons average 41 points per game, which includes two games of over 50 points scored (51 - 2019, 55 - spring 2021). After two blowouts to start the series, the games have been closer in the past couple of seasons. In 2021, NDC won by 16 (31-15) and in 2022, the Falcons won by 13 (27-14).

Noting the Falcons: Notre Dame battled back from a halftime deficit, to take down West Liberty, 40-35. Cameron Shirkey was the star in the first half, making three field goals for the Falcons. He would earn his second consecutive MEC Special Teams Player of the Week award after finishing the game going 4-for-4 on field goals and 4-for-4 on extra points. His 16 points scored is second most by a kicker in program history. West Liberty led 21-16 going into halftime. On the first drive of the second half, Idris Lawrence finished things off with a 26-yard run to give NDC its first lead of the game, at 23-21. Between the 4:33-mark in the third quarter and the 6:37-mark in the fourth, Notre Dame scored 17 unanswered points. However, WLU scored with just over three minutes left and recovered an onside kick. An interception by NDC's Christian Taylor sealed the win. Isaiah Murphy started at quarterback but left with an injury. Lawrence ran for another career-high 194 yards and scored three touchdowns. Napoleon Harris caught six passes for 72 yards. Lavell Gibson had two sacks and two tackles for loss.

On the offensive end, Notre Dame ranks fourth in the Mountain East Conference in touchdowns (32), fourth in points (267) and fifth in points per game (33.4). The Falcons' special teams has been solid as they lead the MEC in field goals made, with 14, lead the conference with a perfect extra point percentage, lead the MEC with a kickoff net yardage average of 40.2 and rank second in average net punt yards at 34.8 yards. NDC is third in the MEC with 1,561 rushing yards, third in passing yards with 1,740 and third in yards per game with 412.6. They rank second with 169 first downs and third with just nine sacks allowed. The Falcons have two players in the top ten in rushing yards per game, with Idris Lawrence in third (119.3) and Krys Riley-Richardson in 10th (51.4). Lawrence has seven rushing TDs, while Riley Richardson has six. Lawrence is also fifth in the MEC with 131.7 all-purpose yards per game. Deshawn Evans is averaging 158.5 passing yards per game. James Faulkner leads the team with 360 total receiving yards. Kicker Cameron Shirkey leads the MEC with 73 points scored, while leading in total field goals made (14).

The defense has been solid, ranking second in the MEC with an opponent third down conversion of 31.4-percent, second in interceptions with 12, fourth in sacks with 15 and fourth in red zone defense at 70.8-percent. Isaiah Stephens is second in the conference in solo tackles (42), fifth in total tackles (64) and fifth in tackles for loss (10). Nathan Rosario-Santos is seventh in tackles (55).

 In NCAA Division II, NDC ranks ninth in blocked punts (3) and 15th in interceptions (12). Individually, Cameron Shirkey is second in field goals per game (1.75), 10th in total points (73) and 14th in points per game (9.1). Idris Lawrence ranks ninth in rushing yards per game (119.3), 11th in total rushing yards (835) and 18th in all-purpose yards per game (131.7).

Noting the Cardinals: On the road two weeks ago, Wheeling allowed Glenville State to put together a second half comeback, in a 27-13 loss. Joao Lima hit two field goals in the first half and Tre'Ron Fullerton scored a touchdown with 31 seconds left to give NDC a 13-6 halftime lead. Anthony Garrett threw three touchdowns in the second half as Glenville State put up 21 unanswered points. Wheeling's Landon Lutz went 22-for-46 for 189 yards. Six Wheeling receivers caught at least three passes. Justin McIlwain recorded an interception.

Wheeling has only scored 28 touchdowns this season, but are second in the conference with 10 field goals. The Cardinals ranks fifth with 386 yards per game. WU returns kicks with an average of 20.3 yards per return, which ranks third in the conference. The Cardinals have only allowed nine sacks this year, which is tied for second. On the defensive side, they rank fifth with 14 sacks. They have only allowed 115 total first downs, which leads the MEC. Kicker Joao Lima ranks is tied for fifth with 57 points and Tre Holloway ranks third with 24.9 yards per kick return. 

Wheeling's Aaron Davis is second in the country with 2.1 passes defended per game and Joao Lima is fifth in field goals per game (1.43).