Michigan vs. Notre Dame Football 2009
Luster Returns to Wolverines-Fighting Irish Rivalry
Michigan faces No. 18 Notre Dame on Saturday, Sept. 12, in a 3:30 p.m. EST matchup at Ann Arbor, Mich. ABC will telecast the game, which will mark the 37th meeting between the schools.
Considering that the teams first played in 1887, 37 times really isn't a lot. But the rivalry has maintained its ferocity because the schools just happen to be two of the three winningest programs in NCAA Division I history.
But it hasn't been quite the same recently, as both schools went into uncharacteristic slides. Michigan romped 38-0 in 2007 -- a season in which Notre Dame ended up losing a school-record nine games. Notre Dame prevailed 35-17 in 2008, when Michigan would lose a school-record nine games.
Yet the Fighting Irish and Wolverines each dominated their 2009 openers. Coach Charlie Weis' Notre Dame team, 7-6 last season, smothered Nevada 35-0 last weekend. Coach Rich Rodriguez's Wolverines, coming off a 3-9 campaign, rolled 31-7 over Western Michigan.
The victories weren't surprising, they were expected. But they were convincing enough -- and over good enough teams -- to reinforce hopes that the 2009 Michigan-Notre Dame game will be a worthwhile.
Notre Dame Defense Sharp
Fighting Irish QB Jimmy Clausen turned in a sterling 15-for-18 passing performance against Nevada -- good for 315 yards and four touchdowns, with no interceptions. And Michael Floyd had 189 yards on just four catches, including TD grabs of 88, 70 and 24 yards.
Armando Allen ran 15 times for 72 as the Irish finished with 510 yards of total offense, committing no turnovers. But the big offensive numbers were really no shock. Nevada's not known for defense.
What was more impressive was the fact that the Wolf Pack's pistol offense didn't manage a single point.
Nevada did get a few yards -- 307 to be exact -- but that's a remarkably low figure considering that the Wolf Pack averaged more than 500 yards per game to rank fifth in the nation last season.
And the man responsible for a major chunk of those yards -- double-threat QB Colin Kaepernick -- had just 149 yards passing and 39 rushing. He ran for over 1,000 last year.
About the only thing Notre Dame did not do was stop Nevada's Vai Taua, who managed 118 yards on 14 carries.
Safety Kyle McCarthy had nine tackles and an interception to lead the Irish defense. Linebackers Toryan Smith and Brian Smith each had a sack among two tackles for losses, and cornerback Robert Blanton also had an interception for the Irish.
Notre Dame's prized recruit, freshman linebacker Manti Te'o, saw action off the bench and made two tackles.
It probably works well for the Irish that they got in some quality time facing a strong-running quarterback, because they'll be facing a couple of them at Michigan.
Freshman QBs Sparkle for Wolverines
Four quarterbacks saw action for the Wolverines against Western Michigan, with fleet-footed freshmen Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson putting up impressive numbers.
Forcier completed 13 of 20 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He also ran 11 ties for 38 yards.
Robinson didn't do much passing, going 2-for-4 for 18 yards. But he rushed 11 times for 74 yards, including a 43-yard TD.
Another star was wide receiver Junior Hemingway, who had TD receptions of 28 and 44 yards en route to a five-catch, 103-yard performance. Michigan finished with 439 yards total offense.
The Wolverines' defense contained one of the nation's most productive quarterbacks until the fourth quarter. Western Michigan's Tim Hiller passed for 259 yards, but was intercepted twice. The Broncos' lone TD was a 73-yard pass from Hiller to Juan Nunez in the final period.
Michigan surrendered just 38 yards rushing, and 301 total offense.
Linebacker Obi Ezeh posted a team-high nine tackles, and forced a fumble. Cornerback Donovan Warren made seven tackles, and linebacker Steve Brown added six tackles -- five solo. Linebacker Jonas Mouton and cornerback Boubakar Cissoka had interceptions fort the Wolverines.
This week, the Wolverines must contend with another standout QB. They had two sacks and no hurries vs. Hiller, who passed 38 times. They could need much more against Clausen.
Michigan-Notre Dame Series History
Michigan will carry a 20-15-1 series lead into the game, which will mark the eighth year in a row the Wolverines have played Notre Dame.
The longest uninterrupted stretch in the rivalry came when the teams played for 10 consecutive years -- from 1985 to 1994. But the schools once went 45 years without meeting, from 1943 to 1978.
Michigan owns the most wins in NCAA Division I history with 873. Texas is second with 833 and Notre Dame is third with 832. In winning percentage, Michigan is first at .738, Notre Dame is second at .736, and Texas is third at .718.
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