A pair of Division II-AA East football teams continued going in opposite directions Friday night in Notre Dame's 54-7 road win over Boyd-Buchanan.
The Irish were led by their stingy defense that wouldn't allow the Buccaneers' offense to muster any type of momentum. Boyd-Buchanan was held to nine first downs on the night compared to Notre Dame's 21 and finished with just over 160 yards of total offense.
Meanwhile, the Irish offense balanced out well to the tune of 150-plus yards each way, rushing and passing. At the head of the attack was sophomore quarterback Landon Allen, who totaled 78 yards and two touchdowns on 12 passes and 74 yards and a score on the ground.
When Allen wasn't awaiting the snap, it was Tennessee commitment Cameron Wynn who made magic happen for the Irish. On five rushing attempts from the wildcat formation, Wynn gained 50 yards including a touchdown.
"We came into the season running the air raid, but when we found out our short-yardage offense can be so effective, we've found a really nice mix in combining the two," Notre Dame coach Charles Fant said. "I think the best thing it's doing is keeping us physical, which is always a quality you want to have."
Both teams have now played two games in their new region with Boyd-Buchanan (0-5, 0-2) dropping two and the Irish (4-1, 2-0) looking strong in both. Next week, the Bucs will dip out of division play to face Grace Academy on the road, while Notre Dame will have an off week before traveling to play Knoxville Webb on Sept. 29.
"The biggest thing for us to remember is what's going right for us now," Notre Dame's Wynn said. "There's always going to be the small things to correct, but with how we're rolling right now I think we can make some noise this season."
Contact John Mitchell at sports@timesfreepress.com