SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio – Freshman quarterback Tyson Bagent (Martinsburg, W.Va./Martinsburg) completed 36-of-56 passes for 518 yards and three touchdowns, but Shepherd University's fourth quarter rally fell short as Notre Dame College held on for a 35-33 win in MEC football action at Mueller Field on Saturday.
Notre Dame took a 7-0 lead when Chris Brimm teamed with Marvelle Ross on a nine-yard scoring pass with 12:01 left in the first quarter.
The Falcons took a 14-0 lead when Ross returned a punt 57 yards for a score with 6:13 left in the second quarter.
Shepherd got on the scoreboard when Bagent teamed with junior wide receiver Greg Leonard (Lusby, Md./Patuxent/Clarion) on a 29-yard scoring strike with 3:13 left in the second quarter. Sophomore kicker Hayden August-Scriven (North Potomac, Md./Quince Orchard) added the extra point.
August-Scriven added an 18-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to cut the lead to 14-10 at the break.
Brimm and Ross teamed on a 24-yard scoring pass with12:57 left in the third quarter as Notre Dame took a 21-10 lead.
The Falcons extended their lead to 28-10 when Jale McLaughlin raced 76 yards for a score with 9:52 left in the quarter.
Shepherd cut the lead to 28-17 when Bagent fired a 68-yard scoring pass to senior wide receiver Wanya Allen (Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls) with 9:07 left in the quarter.
McLaughlin ran 75 yards for a score with 8:56 left in the third quarter to give the Falcons a 35-17 advantage.
Bagent teamed with senior wide receiver Ryan Feiss (Forest Hill, Md./North Harford) on a 31-yard scoring pass with 8:37 left in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 35-24.
August-Scriven connected on a 29-yard field goal with 2:48 left to cut the lead to 35-27.
Freshman running back Zyan Sturdivant (North Dinwiddie, Va./Dinwiddie County) scored on a six-yard scamper with 1:10 remaining to cut the lead to 35-33. Shepherd's two-point attempt was unsuccessful.
Bagent's 36 completions, 56 attempts, and 518 passing yards established new Shepherd single-game marks. Brimm completed 12-of-23 passes for 110 yards and two scores for the Falcons.
Sturdivant rushed eight times for 48 yards for the Rams. McLaughlin had 22 carries for 302 yards for Notre Dame.
Feiss had 13 receptions for 172 yards and Allen added 11 catches for 165 yards for the Rams. Ross had seven catches for 84 yards for Notre Dame.
Shepherd had 599 yards of total offense, while Notre Dame had 421.
Sophomore linebacker Chrys Lane (Baltimore, Md./Dundalk) had a game-high 15 tackles (11 solos), while sophomore linebacker David Eppard (Winchester, Va./Sherando) added seven stop (2 solos). Curtis Collins had 12 tackles (7 solos) for Notre Dame.
The Rams return to action on Sept. 15 when they host Glenville State at noon for the Whiteout game.
Notes: The loss moves Shepherd's all-time mark in season openers to 38-52-5 with a 19-33-2 record on the road … Shepherd's regular season win streak is halted at 30 games, a mark that tied the old mark of 30 games (2004-07) … the Rams drop to 4-2 in the series with Notre Dame … Feiss moved into second place on the SU all-time receptions list with 163 career catches... Bagent's 518 passing yards are the second most in MEC history.
