Game Day Information

Ticket Promotion: All Students Receive Free Admission
The Fairmont State Department of Athletics will be offering free admission to all secondary and elementary aged youth during the final two home games of the 2016 football season, including this Thursday's top 25 matchup between Fairmont State and Notre Dame College.

In addition, parent or guardians that accompany any secondary or elementary aged child to the game will receive half-price admission when purchasing general admission tickets. This promotion is only available for general admission tickets purchased the day of the game.

The Matchup
- Fairmont State and Notre Dame College will meet for the fourth time in history on Thursday evening at Duvall-Rosier Field, in the MEC Game of the Week.
- Fairmont State leads the all-time series between the schools 2-1. The last two meetings between the schools have been decided by single digits. Notre Dame won 42-35 in Fairmont in 2014 and FSU won 33-24 last fall in South Euclid, Ohio.
- Thursday's top 25 matchup will be broadcasted live on the statewide MetroNews radio network and will be stream in high-definition on wvmetronews.com.
- The 8-0 start is the first for the Falcons since the 1967 season, that season FSU went on to win the NAIA National Championship under legendary head coach Deacon Duvall.
- The Falcons have won 14 of their last 16 games dating back to last season.
- Fairmont State football remained in the American Football Coaches' Association Division II Coaches' Poll this week, moving up three spots to No. 20.
- This seasons ranking is the first since Sept. 4, 2001.
- Fairmont's No. 20 ranking this week is its second-highest in school history. The Falcons were ranked 19th back on Sept. 15, 1997. This marks the first time in school history that FSU has been ranked for two-consecutive weeks.
- Fairmont State also moved up in the D2Football.com media poll, checking-in at No. 22 in the Tuesday, Oct. 25 edition of the poll.
- FSU remains one of eight teams in NCAA Division II to be unbeaten this season.

Scouting the Offense
- Fairmont State senior wide receiver Fabian Guerra moved into second place in career receiving yards Saturday in the Falcons 58-3 victory over UVa-Wise. With his 33 receiving yards, Guerra passed Ed Coleman for sole possession of second. He now sits at 2,599 yards and trails record holder Todd Anderson by 486 yards (3,085).
- Ironically, Wendell Johnson, Fairmont State's all-time leading rusher with 3,745 yards, and Guerra, the school's all-time leader in receptions (209), both went to Christopher Columbus High School in Miami. 
- Wide receiver and return specialist Laurence King, a freshman from Greenbelt, Md., is the league's Special Teams Player of the Week after helping the Falcons get off to a quick start against UVa-Wise. After a first quarter safety, King took the ensuing free kick 82 yards for a touchdown to put the Falcons ahead 9-0 just five minutes into the game. He also added another return for 36 yards and contributed on offense with six catches for 55 yards and a touchdown.
- King is currently fourth in the MEC in receptions per game (6.75) and Guerra is seventh in receiving yards per game (80.4).
- Laurence King's 54 catches this fall are the most ever recorded by a freshman receiver in Fairmont State history.
- King leads Fairmont and is fourth in the MEC in receptions with 54 for 533 yards and three touchdowns. He's also first in the conference in kickoff returns with 11 for 359 yards (32.6 yards per return) and one TD, first in punt returns with 11 for 113 yards (10.3 yards per return) and fourth in the league in all-purpose yardage with 1,035 yards for an average of 129.4 per game.
- The kick return for a touchdown was the first for Fairmont State since Matt Wilmer back on Nov. 3, 2012 against WV State.
- Quarterback Cooper Hibbs is currently fourth in the MEC in passing yards per game (248.8), third in passing efficiency (143.2) and third total offense (248.4).
- Hibbs ranks third in school history in nearly every passing category, including yards (7,799), touchdowns (59), and completions (653).
- Hibbs needs 782 more yards this season to move past Bryan Harman for second in school history in passing yards. The senior is also just six touchdown passes and 33 completions from also passing Harman in both of those categories for second all-time.
- Senior quarterback Cooper Hibbs has hooked up with senior receiver Fabian Guerra 185 times for 2,325 yards and 15 touchdowns over the duos four-year career as teammates.
- Fairmont State has outscored its opponents 66-6 in the fourth quarter and hold a 117-29 scoring advantage in the second half of games this season.
- Fairmont State has four receivers with at least 24 receptions and 218 yards through the first eight weeks of the 2016 season. King is first on the team with 54 receptions for 533 yards and three scores, Guerra has 52 receptions for 643 yards and five touchdowns, Brandon Boyd has 26 receptions for 218 yards and Andre Hall has hauled in 25 receptions for 316 yards.
- King (4th) and Guerra (5th) are both ranked in the top 10 in the MEC in receptions per game this season. 
- Four different FSU receivers have recorded a 100-yard performance this season (Guerra, King, Hall, Jeff Iweh) and six different FSU receivers have hauled in a touchdown pass this season.
- Fairmont State has also had success running the football this season as starting running back Terrell Charles has recorded three 100-yard games and four multiple touchdown performances this season. Charles has 639 yards on 145 carries this season, averaging 4.4 yards per rush. Charles has also crossed the goal line nine times, which is tied for second in the Mountain East Conference.
- Last week against UVa-Wise four different players recorded a rushing touchdown. Daniel Rodriguez, Charles, Hibbs, and Takwan Crews-Naylor all found the end zone for the Falcons.
- Charles has proven throughout the season that he gets better as the game moves on, totaling 192 yards on 37 carries and four of touchdowns in the fourth quarter of games this season. Charles is averaging 5.1 yards per carry in the fourth quarter this season.
- Charles' 639 rushing yards this season are 91 yards more than he had in his first two seasons at FSU combined (548). He also only had four rushing TDs in his first two years with the Falcons.
- Eight weeks into the 2016 season, Charles is currently third in the league in rushing this season, averaging 79.9 yards per game.
- In addition to three 100-yard performances by Charles, James Oliver also rushed for over 100-yards in week five against Urbana, finishing the afternoon with 127 yards on 17 carries. Rakeem Darden is second on the team in rushing with 236 yards on 41 carries to go along with three touchdowns. Oliver has carried the ball 32 times for 173 yards and a score this season.

Scouting the Defense
- Fairmont's nationally-ranked defense is ranked second in the country in both scoring defense (11.3) and forced turnovers (25). The Falcons lead NCAA Division II in passes intercepted and are 10th in the country in red-zone defense.
- The Falcon defense continued its impressive play last weekend against UVa-Wise by limiting their eighth opponent this season under 20 points in a game. FSU also held its third opponent of the season without a touchdown in last week's 58-3 win at UVa-Wise.
- The defense also continued its streak of interceptions by recording at least one pick in twelve of their last thirteen games, including multiple picks in nine of those games. The Falcons picked off three passes for the second-consecutive week with Demonne Cox, Michael Porter, and Jordan Schaeffer all recording interceptions. The Falcons have recorded three interceptions in four of the last five games.
- Fairmont State's defense has each of the last two defensive player of the week honors, as Stephen Turner and Demonne Cox have been honored in consecutive weeks.
- Cox, a junior from La Plata, Md., was named MEC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in helping the Falcons to a 58-3 win over UVa-Wise last week. Cox was in on a team-high seven tackles and also had a sack. Cox also forced a fumble on the opening kickoff, forced another on his sack, and later intercepted a pass against the Cavs.
- Eleven different players have now recorded an interception this season with Stephen Turner and Trevon Shorts each returning one for a touchdown. In addition to Turner's four interceptions on the year, Emanuel Ivey, Jerry Iweh, Zack Hoover, and Michael Porter each have two for the Falcon defense.
- In addition to leading the conference in interceptions this season with 18, the Falcons have also broke-up 35 passes.
- Fairmont's Marcus Porter leads the Falcons this season with 55 total stops, including 33 solo and 3.0 for losses. Porter has also forced a fumble and recorded a safety this season from his middle linebacker position.
- Senior safety Emanuel "Manny" Ivey leads the Falcons this season with five pass break-ups and is third on the team with 40 total tackles.
- Fairmont is first in the MEC in turnover margin at plus-13. The Falcons have a league-leading 18 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries.
- Out of ten forced fumbles this season, the Falcons have recovered seven of them to force a turnover.
- Eight different players have recorded 20 tackles on the season and 12 players have recording a sack for the FSU defense. Quincy Redmon (8.5) and Josh Ballard (5.0) are leading the Falcons in sacks this season and are Redmon and Dalton Inman in the top 15 nationally in fumble recoveries with two apiece. The Falcons have 56.0 tackles for loss this season.
- The Falcons lead the MEC in scoring defense, pass-efficiency defense, opponent third-down conversion, and red zone defense.
- Charleston is the only opponent this season to score a fourth-quarter touchdown against the Falcons defense, as FSU is outscoring opponents 66-6 in the fourth quarter of games this season.
- The Falcon defense has held each of its opponents to 20 points or less this season, including three being held out of the end zone (Concord, Alderson Broaddus and UVa-Wise).
- Fairmont's defense is tops in the MEC in the red zone. Opponents are just 13-of-22 on red zone scoring chances against the Falcons (59 percent), scoring eight touchdowns and kicking five field goals.

Scouting the NDC Falcons
• The 25th-ranked Notre Dame College Falcons enter Thursday's MEC Game of the Week with an overall record of 7-1 and are 6-1 in conference play.
• The Falcons are currently on a four game winning streak after defeating West Liberty 30-14 this past Saturday.
• NDC's lone loss this season came at the hands of the 3rd-ranked Shepherd Rams, 38-17, on Sept. 24.
• Notre Dame is ranked in the AFCA Top 25 for the first time in school history.
• NDC is second in several major statistical categories in Mountain East Conference play including scoring offense (33.9), rushing offense (201.6), total offense (456.0), kickoff returns (25.4), and pass efficiency (157.1).
• The Falcon offense is led by Malik Grove who has thrown for 2,035 yards and 24 touchdowns, both of which are tops in the MEC. Grove has also only thrown two interceptions which is the second best total in NCAA Division II.
• DJ Greene and Grove lead the ground game for NDC with 686 and 447 yards rushing, respectively. Greene has rushed for a team-high four touchdowns while Grove has rushed for two.
• Mitchell Shegos leads all receivers with 801 yards and nine touchdowns. Emmanuel Smith and CJ Germany have each recorded five touchdown receptions.
• Onslow Williams and Jake Chestnut anchor the defense with over 50 tackles apiece.
• Vincent Ellis leads the team with five sacks, while Jalon Avent and Claudy Mathieu both have four sacks.
• Williams and Tyrel Hill both lead the team with two interceptions each.
• Marvelle Ross is one of the most dangerous kick returners in the country as he has returned two kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns this season, both of which rank top five in DII.
• Notre Dame also features a stingy defense which is third in the MEC in points allowed (22.2). NDC's defense has allowed a total of just three points in the second half of its last three games.