Football

Fairmont State Hosts Notre Dame In DII Showcase Game Thursday

GameDay Central
TV: West Virginia Channel (click here for channel listings)
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Live Stats

Complete Game Notes
Fairmont State | Notre Dame College

Military Appreciation Day
As a part of 'Military Appreciation Night,' all active military personnel, veterans and their families will receive free admission to the game.

Single Game Tickets
$12 – General Admission (Adults)
$8 – Seniors (65+)
Free - Youth ages 18-and-under
Free – Fairmont State Students (with ID)
$8 - non-Fairmont State students from visiting institutions (with valid college/university ID)

Student Promotion
Through the 2018-19 season, all secondary and elementary aged students will receive a free general admission ticket to all Fairmont State football games. In addition, all parent or guardians that accompany any secondary or elementary aged children to the game will receive an $8 general admission ticket.

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The Matchup

- Fairmont State hosts unbeaten and Mountain East Conference-leading Notre Dame College Thursday evening at 7 p.m. at Duvall-Rosier Field in an NCAA Division II Showcase contest.

- The game will be broadcasted live on WVPB, the West Virginia Channel, in addition to WVMetroNews.com and the NCAA Division II Facebook.

- The game will also feature a statewide radio broadcast on West Virginia MetroNews with Travis Jones and Rasheed Marshall on the call.

- NDC currently ranks 20th in the AFCA Coaches' Poll. Fairmont State was receiving votes in the poll's voting during the first four weeks of the season.

- The last two meetings between the schools have been decided by five points or less. Fairmont State won 23-19 in 2016 en route to an NCAA Division II playoff berth. NDC claimed last year's contest in South Euclid, Ohio, 19-14.

- Fairmont State leads the all-time series between the two schools, 3-2.

- Fairmont State's last victory over a ranked opponent came in 2016, a 23-19 win over then No. 25 Notre Dame. Fairmont State played three ranked opponents during the 2016 season (NDC, Shepherd, Indiana (PA)).

- Fairmont State has won eight of its last nine games dating back to last season. In addition, Fairmont State has suffered just eight losses in its last 36 games.

- Notre Dame's only win at Duvall-Rosier Field came back in the 2014 home opener (42-35). 

Offensive Notebook

- In Saturday's 24-6 road win over Virginia-Wise at Carl Smith Stadium, Fairmont's ground game rolled up 245 yards on 41 carries against a Cavalier defense which entered the contest allowing just 138.8 yards per outing. The 245 team rushing yards was the second-highest output of the season by Fairmont State. The Falcons rushed for 255 yards in a week three victory over West Virginia Wesleyan.

- In five games this fall Fairmont has 978 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground on 204 attempts. The Falcons are averaging 195.6 yards per contest and 4.8 yards per carry.

- Last season after five games Fairmont had just 409 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 162 attempts. The team was averaging 81.8 yards per game and just 2.5 yards per carry. Fairmont is averaging 113.8 yards more per game on the ground and 2.3 yards more per carry through the first five games.

- On Saturday Khalik Hamlin, who is second in the Mountain East Conference and third in the country in rushing with 626 yards and four touchdowns on 101 carries, went over the 100-yard mark in a game for the fourth time this season when he ran for a game-high 109 yards on 16 attempts.

- The last Fairmont State running back to rush for 100-or-more yards four times in a single season was Terrell Charles in 2016. However, it took Charles 11 games to accomplish that feat. Hamlin has done it in five games this fall.

- In addition to Hamlin's team-leading 626 yards on 101 carries, Tyree Randolph has chipped in 194 yards on 34 carries and has two TDs this season, and Rakeem Darden has 123 yards on 24 carries and one score. Fairmont's top three running backs are all averaging at least 5.1 yards per carry.

- The Fairmont State passing game is led by quarter Takwan Crews-Naylor, who currently ranks seventh in the country in completion percentage (66.9%), 15th in passing efficiency (167.1), 23rd in passing TDs, (11), 30th in passing yards (1,214) and 39th in yards per completion (13.95).

- For the season, the junior has completed 87-of-130 pass attempts for 1,214 passing yards and 11 TDs. Crews-Naylor has thrown just four picks this season, with three coming in Fairmont's setback to UC in week four.

- Fairmont State wide receiver Javon Hayes currently ranks 11th in the country in first in the MEC in receiving TDs with six. Hayes also ranks second in the league in total TDs, behind Notre Dame's McLaughlin (10).

- Hayes leads the Falcons with 27 receptions for 326 yards on the season.

- Shawn Harris currently has a team-high 403 yards on 26 receptions this season. Alquawn Vickers (17-243) and Aaron Lewis (10-180) also have double-figure receptions for the Falcons this season. Harris and Vickers have each hauled in two receiving touchdowns for the Falcons.

- Fairmont's offense currently ranks 45th in the country and third in the league in scoring (32.8), 48th in the country and fourth in the league in passing (251.6), and 33rd in the country and second in the league in rushing (195.6). The Falcons rank 30th in the country and third in the league in total offense (447.2).

- In addition, the Falcons rank first in the league and 29th in NCAA Division II third-down conversion percentage at 43.8 percent.

- Fairmont State is also 35th in the country and third in the league in time of possession (31:59).

Special Teams Notebook

- The Fairmont State special teams unit has proved to be very reliable this season, led by kick returner Lyrics Klugh who ranks second in the country in punt return average (28.3) and 19th in kick return average (27.4).

- In addition, Klugh is the only player in NCAA Division II with a pair of punt return TDs this season.

- Klugh is also second in the country in combined kick/punt return yards (555).

- In addition, placekicker Colin Harvath currently ranks fifth in the country in field goals per game (1.60) and 37th in field goal percentage (.727). Harvath also ranks 20th in the country in total points scored (44). Harvath is currently 8-of-11 on field goals this season, with a long of 46-yards against WV Wesleyan (game-winning kick).

- Punter Samuel Tucker has booted 15 punts for 600 yards this season, averaging 40.0 yards per punt. Tucker has placed six punts inside the 20-yard line this season. 

Defensive Notebook

- Fairmont's defense currently ranks fifth in the league against the run (144.0) and fourth in the league against the pass (251.6). The Falcons rank fourth in the league in total defense (346.8).

- The Falcons currently rank 31st in the country and third in the league in turnovers forced with 11.

- In last Saturday's victory over UVa-Wise, Fairmont State's defense allowed just 75 yards and forced three and outs on five of six possessions in the opening half of the game. The Cavs scored their only TD of the day in the fourth quarter after Fairmont State took a 24-0 lead.

- Jerry Iweh and Antonio Harris, who are both seniors, lead Fairmont State in tackles this fall with 41 and 34 respectively. Harris also leads the team in quarterback sacks with two.

- Iweh currently ranks 15th in the country and third in the league in forced fumbles with two on the year.

- The Falcon defense recorded three sacks in Saturday's win, which tied Fairmont's season-high for sacks in a game this season.

- As a team the Falcons have eight quarterback sacks for the season. Last year after five games Fairmont State had totaled 15 quarterback sacks.

- After ranking in the top 30 in the country in each of the last two season's in sacks per game, the Falcons are currently 100th in the country in sacks per game (1.60) this season. The Falcons have just eight quarterback sacks this season, compared to 30 in 2017 (2.72) and 38 in 2016 (3.16).

- Stephen Turner's interception last Saturday against UVa-Wise was his team-leading second of the season. He now has 10 career interceptions and has returned them for a total of 225 yards. Turner is tied for ninth place in school history with seven other players in career interceptions and is fourth all-time in Fairmont State history in interception return yards.

- Four different players have picked off a pass for the Falcons this season, including Turner, Iweh, Harris and Malachi McMillan.

- Two members of the Fairmont State secondary earned honorable mention All-America honors a season ago, including cornerback Michael Porter and safety Stephen Turner.

Scouting NDC

- Notre Dame, which is 5-0 both overall and in conference play, is the last remaining unbeaten team in the MEC. NDC has one of the most dangerous offenses in NCAA Division II. Notre Dame averages 506.6 yards of total offense per game and 39.4 points.

- The key to NDC's attack is its running game. Led by true freshman Jaleel McLaughlin, who leads the Mountain East in rushing with 1,068 yards and nine touchdowns on 115 carries, Notre Dame averages a conference-best 317.4 yards per outing on the ground.

- McLaughlin leads NCAA Division II in rushing yards per game (213.6), rushing yards (1,068), and all-purpose yards (248.0)

- McLaughlin ran for a school record 340 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries in Notre Dame's 55-21 victory over West Liberty this past Saturday. The 340 rushing yards are the second-most in a game in MEC history. Glenville State's Rahmann Lee holds the league's single-game rushing record with 412 yards against West Virginia Wesleyan in 2015.

- The 300-plus-yard performance by McLaughlin was his second of the season. He ran for 302 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 22 carries in a wild week one, 35-33, victory over Shepherd University. McLaughlin has run for over 100 yards in every game this season for Notre Dame. His lowest total rushing yards in a game this year were 123 on 25 attempts in a 33-31 victory over West Virginia State back on Sept. 15.

- Fairmont's ground attack is second in the MEC to Notre Dame. It, however, will be tested by a NDC rush defense which is tops in the conference and allows just 68.6 yards per game on the ground. However, the NDC defense is giving up 346.0 yards per game through the air.
 

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Players Mentioned

Terrell Charles

#5 Terrell Charles

RB
5' 8"
Junior
Takwan Crews-Naylor

#3 Takwan Crews-Naylor

QB
6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
Antonio Harris

#11 Antonio Harris

LB
6' 1"
Sophomore
Jerry Iweh

#41 Jerry Iweh

DB
6' 4"
Sophomore
Samuel Tucker

#49 Samuel Tucker

K/P
6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
Stephen Turner

#15 Stephen Turner

DB
6' 0"
Sophomore
Khalik Hamlin

#13 Khalik Hamlin

RB
5' 9"
Freshman
Rakeem Darden

#22 Rakeem Darden

RB
6' 0"
Freshman
Shawn Harris

#26 Shawn Harris

WR
6' 2"
Freshman
Michael Porter

#31 Michael Porter

DB
6' 1"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Terrell Charles

#5 Terrell Charles

5' 8"
Junior
RB
Takwan Crews-Naylor

#3 Takwan Crews-Naylor

6' 1"
Redshirt Freshman
QB
Antonio Harris

#11 Antonio Harris

6' 1"
Sophomore
LB
Jerry Iweh

#41 Jerry Iweh

6' 4"
Sophomore
DB
Samuel Tucker

#49 Samuel Tucker

6' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
K/P
Stephen Turner

#15 Stephen Turner

6' 0"
Sophomore
DB
Khalik Hamlin

#13 Khalik Hamlin

5' 9"
Freshman
RB
Rakeem Darden

#22 Rakeem Darden

6' 0"
Freshman
RB
Shawn Harris

#26 Shawn Harris

6' 2"
Freshman
WR
Michael Porter

#31 Michael Porter

6' 1"
Freshman
DB