Another epic classic between Michigan and Notre Dame came down to who had the ball last in their possession. Michigan pulled out a last-second victory against Notre Dame, 35-31, after scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter.
Denard Robinson continued his heroic play for the Wolverines, throwing for 338 yards (on just 11 completions) and running for an additional 108 yards. Of the 452 yards Michigan produced on offense, Robinson was responsible for 446 of them. He also accounted for all five of Michigan's touchdowns.
Notre Dame opened strong, going up 14-0 in the first quarter, but couldn't find much scoring success afterwards. Five turnovers (two interceptions and three fumbles) will usually prevent that.
Michigan also couldn't get it going on offense in the first half (only 90 yards total), and it wasn't until the fourth quarter that Denard Robinson kicked it into high gear. There's just something about him and Notre Dame that brings out the Heisman candidate in him.
Tommy Rees had a pretty respectable game for the Irish, despite two interceptions and a red zone fumble. He went 27-39 for 315 yards and three touchdowns. He did engineer a quick (too quick for Irish fans) drive for a touchdown that gave the Irish the lead with :30 left in the game. Despite the turnovers, Rees was able to move the Irish for 513 yards of total offense. There shouldn't continue to be a quarterback controversy.
Thirty seconds was all Denard Robinson needed. Anyone who thinks this guy is simply an athletic runner doesn't see the way he keeps his eyes open up-field. He's a smart quarterback who trusts his teammates and gives them opportunities to also make plays.
In any case, it's back to the drawing board for the Irish. An 0-2 start will get the critics chomping away at Brian Kelly, and for good reason. The Irish should have won both games, but were sabotaged by 10 turnovers. Kelly has to find a way to fix that, or it's truly going to be a very long season for the Irish.
Uniform note: Anyone else notice how many of these throwback jerseys seemed torn, and how the Irish helmets were all chipped? Quality control?
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