Box Score SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – The Fairmont State (3-1, 2-1 Mountain East Conference) football team edged Notre Dame (Ohio) (2-2, 1-2 MEC) for the first time since 2016 on Saturday (Sept. 23) in a 17-14 game played at Mueller Field at South Euclid, Ohio.

Fairmont State built a 17-0 lead in the first half and held on for a three-point road conference victory. With the win, Fairmont State snapped an 18-game home winning streak by Notre Dame, which was intact since 2019.
 
Michael Floria completed 10 passes for 114 yards and scored a touchdown on the groud. Will Adkins finished with a pair of completions for 26 yards. LeJay Hatcher rumbled for 116 yards on the ground and averaged 5.8 yards/carry. Kobe Harris crossed the goal line on an eight-yard carry and hauled in three receptions for 38 yards. Winston Page caught a season-high seven completions for 74 yards and averaged 10.6 yards/reception.
 
On defense Fairmont State picked off NDC three times, with Eltayeb Bushra securing a pair of interceptions and Howard Williams sealing the game with an interception in the final minute of play. Brocton Blair led Fairmont State with seven tackles and tallied 1.5 tackles for a loss. Jovon Jackson made six tackles, while Tyrees Smith finished with five.
 
After a failed 50-yard field goal attempt for Fairmont State, Notre Dame faced a 4^th and 9 in Fairmont State territory and elected to go for it. NDC could not convert the fourth down and Fairmont State took over. Hatcher ripped off two rushes for over 15 yards to set up the Fairmont State in NDC territory. Fairmont State capitalized on a 20-yard field goal and took an early 3-0 lead with 3:13 remaining in the opening quarter. NDC went three and out on the ensuing drive and Fairmont State took over at the NDC 33-yard line.
 
The Fairmont State Fighting Falcons began the second quarter with an eight-yard rushing touchdown by Kobe Harris to extend the lead to 10-0. After an NDC punt, Fairmont State amassed a 10 play, 55-yard scoring drive that concluded with a Floria three-yard touchdown rush to put Fairmont State ahead, 17-0 midway through the second quarter. Bushra nabbed his first interception of the afternoon with 1:26 to go in the second quarter and gave Fairmont State possession with 1:26 left in the half. Fairmont State went into the locker room with a 17-0 lead on the road at halftime.
 
NDC scored its first points of the game when Deshawn Evans connected with Michael Solomon for a 42-yard touchdown pitch and catch. NDC missed a 41-yard field goal try with 1:26 remaining in the third quarter and Fairmont State held a 17-7 lead at the end of three quarters of play. NDC faced a 4^th and 10 on the Fairmont State 36 yard line early in the fourth quarter. Williams broke up Evans' pass attempt to Solomon, and Fairmont State forced a turnover on downs. NDC forced a turnover on Fairmont State and scored a touchdown after Evans completed a pass to Devin Morgan for a nine-yard score. On the next Fairmont State drive, the offense managed to drain over seven minutes on the game clock and moved the football to the NDC 19-yard line. Bushra collected his second interception of the afternoon and the Fairmont State Falcons had the ball with under three minutes remaining. A 16 yard rush by Harris kept the clock moving and forced NDC to burn its remaining timeouts. Scout Arthur pinned NDC inside its own 20-yard line after a 48-yard punt and NDC needed a score with 1:19 left on the clock. Williams stepped up with another big play on defense and grabbed his first interception in a Fairmont State uniform to ice the game and give Fairmont State its first win over Notre Dame since 2016.
 
The Fairmont State football team will return to Duvall-Rosier Field next Saturday (Sept. 30) for their homecoming matchup versus Post. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. in Fairmont.