Even in defeat — including big losses — there are positives to be found.

On Friday night, it wasn’t a surprise that powerful Notre Dame rolled to a 58-12 victory over host Northern Lehigh.

But despite the lopsided decision, Bulldog head coach Joe Tout was quick to recognize the good instead of focusing on the score.

“I thought we did some good things offensively,” said Tout, whose team suffered their third straight loss and dropped to 5-4. “I thought we did some positive stuff in the first half. They’re just a different animal to go up against. We kind of knew you’d almost have to play a perfect game against them.”

Trailing 14-0 after the first quarter, thanks to a couple touchdown passes by Crusader quarterback Tommy Murphy to Drew Boyd, Northern Lehigh showed some fight.

Garrett Smoyer completed a long pass to Ryan Zambo for 46 yards for a first-and-goal. Following a sack that lost nine yards, Smoyer found Chris Frame for a 13-yard gain before racing into the end zone for a 4-yard TD to make it 14-6.

“Offensively, Garrett had the big play to Ryan, and then we had the sack,” said Tout. “So to come back and score on that drive we felt was good and a momentum shift, but then immediately it shifts back.”

Right after the Bulldogs scored, Boyd took the ensuing kickoff and went the distance to kill that brief emotional high Northern Lehigh felt.

The same turn of events happened later in the second quarter.

Down 27-6 after another Murphy TD toss, the Bulldogs got a needed big play when Smoyer threw to Frame, who broke free down the right sideline for a 61-yard score to make it 27-12.

“They were delay blitzing, and we were struggling with that,” said Tout. “Their linebacker did a nice job with that, just kind of waiting and seeing wherever the hole opened up. He would delay blitz.

“So then we came back with a screen to Chris. We didn’t block it. The block came off, but Chris was able to break (free). That was another big play for us, but then immediately the momentum goes back. You can’t do that against these guys.”

It took Notre Dame just one play from scrimmage to get the score back as Murphy, who threw for 216 yards and four touchdowns in the first half, hit a wide open Luca Luise for a 65-yard catch-and-run score.

A Crusader touchdown on the last play of the half upped the margin to 41-12, while Jason Frederick’s 29-yard burst to the end zone on the first possession of the second half initiated the mercy rule.

For Tout and his club, the message remained one of encouragement.

“We told our kids no one’s going to expect us to win; they’re highly ranked in the state,” said Tout. “Play loose, and we’re just trying to remind them to stick together. I think we’re in (districts). We’re going to have a tough game again next week with Lehighton. I just try to remind our guys to keep your eyes on the prize, stick together, don’t finger point. They’re doing a really good job not doing that.

“Our practices were good all week, and when we get to an 11th game we feel really good that what we’ve gone through is going to prepare us. We just have to stick together.”

SCORING SPREE ... Notre Dame (8-1) has scored at least 48 points in seven of its nine games this season. Murphy, who completed his first 10 passes, now has 32 touchdown throws this season.

FULL STRENGTH? ... After missing a good portion of the season with an injury and not looking 100 percent after his return, Nolehi standout Frame is showing signs of being at full strength. He caught four passes for 81, including the one he broke for a TD. “He does (look better), doesn’t he,” said Tout. “I thought that a little bit last week, and then tonight ... you could see it at practice this week and he told me he’s feeling good. This week at practice I thought he looked like himself more and more. He was still a little just ginger with it, and now he looked perfectly fine on that run.”

OUTSTANDING OFFENSE ... Notre Dame ended with 378 yards of offense, compared to 162 for Northern Lehigh. The Crusaders scored on their first eight possessions. NL’s Smoyer ended 7-of-12 passing for 135 yards.

Notre Dame 58,

No. Lehigh 12

Notre Dame 14 27 10 7 - 58

No. Lehigh 0 12 0 0 - 12

ND - Boyd 25 pass from Murphy (Cintron kick)

ND - Boyd 1 pass from Murphy (Cintron kick)

NL - Smoyer 4 run (kick failed)

ND - Boyd 82 kickoff return (kick failed)

ND - Boyd 12 pass from Murphy (Cintron kick)

NL - Frame 61 pass from Smoyer

ND - Luise 65 pass from Murphy (Cintron kick)

ND - Hull 5 pass from Gordon (Cintron kick)

ND - Frederick 29 run (Cintron kick)

ND - Cintron 36 FG

ND - Gordon 10 run (Sulaki kick)