The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Notre Dame College improves to 7-0
The Notre Dame College football team is 7-0.
With four games to play, it’s human nature thoughts of a potential 11-0 mark in its sight.
Don’t tell that to NDC coach Mike Jacobs after his No. 17-ranked Division II team stayed undefeated Oct. 13 with a 45-14 win over visiting Urbana at Mueller Field.
A possible first-ever NCAA Division II playoffs spot is on the line each time out for the Falcons, and with that Jacobs knows the focus can’t sway from week-to-week — especially with just 11 seniors on his roster.
“When you get around those teams with a lot of positive energy, it just permeates and you can feel it from me to all the way down to the last guy on the roster,” said Jacobs.
That positive energy might have been put to the test as NDC freshman running Jaleel McLaughlin left the game in the first half and was carted off the field with what Jacobs termed a “lower leg injury.” He said McLaughlin will evaluated later this week.
The good news for NDC is McLaughlin eventually returned to the sideline during the second half in full uniform. When asked how he was feeling during the game’s final moments, McLaughlin said, “I’m OK.” He had had a noticeable limp roaming the sidelines.
Before leaving the game, McLaughlin — the nation’s leading rusher in all divisions — was on his way to another 100-yard game. He had 75 yards on 14 carries, and a rushing touchdown, his 12th of 2018. He now has 1,337 yards on 170 carries with 13 total touchdowns this season.
Even without McLaughlin the rest of the game, and Marvelle Ross somewhat held in check, the Falcons showed they’re not a twoman team in putting up 45 points and 442 yards. Ross has just two catches for 6 yards, but both went for TDs near the goal line.
“All it says is that you never know what we may do,” said Ross about the production from others on offense. “We’ve got the best (offensive line) in the NCAA, in my opinion. That front five will make us move. That’s the heart of our offense.”
Urbana (4-3) took a 7-3 lead with 12 minutes, 26 seconds remaining in the second quarter until NDC answered with a McLaughlin 2-yard touchdown run, and a 2-yard TD reception by Ross to make it 17-7 at half in favor of the home team.
In the second half, NDC continued to get it done through the air as quarterback Chris Brimm threw threw three more touchdowns, including an 85-yard strike to 6-foot-7 tight end Zaire Mitchell for a 31-14 third-quarter lead. Brimm was 11 of 24 passing for 189 yards. Tre’Von Slater had an 18-yard interception return for a score.
Up next for the Falcons is an Oct. 20 game at West Virginia Wesleyan, where the pressure to remain undefeated will continue to build. Ross isn’t worried.
“We’ll never think about the pressure only because we know when we look to our left and right we’ve got our brothers next to us,” said Ross. “If we feel we can trust our brother each and every down, there’s no need for pressure. We trust he’s going to do his job, just like I do my job.”
As for any talk about a possible 11-0 season, Ross said he and his teammates are staying in the moment.
“We can’t live in a dream, we just have to take it day by day,” said Ross, who has 44 receptions for 661 yards and seven TDs this season. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s kind of hard not to think about it, but that’s when we really have to lock in and not let our heads get to us being 7-0.”