Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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three observations Turning Point Notre Dame had scored 10 straight points to cut its deficit to 34‑30 when Michigan took possession at its 25 with 9:15 remaining. On second-and-10, running back Fitzgerald Toussaint cut back when it appeared he was trapped for a minimal gain and turned the carry into a 22-yard gain. Two plays later, he raced 31 yards on a screen on a blown coverage in the flank. Yet the real devastation occurred on third-and-12 from the Irish 27, when senior cornerback Bennett Jackson stepped in front of a Devin Gardner pass around the 12. He was whistled for pass interference, a debatable infraction when shown on replay because he and the receiver were both going for the ball. Then on third-and goal from the 5-yard line, junior safety Matthias Farley was whistled for pass interference in the end zone on tight end Devin Funchess. Two plays later and with 4:18 remaining, Gardner found slot receiver Drew Dileo in the end zone for the 41-30 lead that would hold up as the final score. Stat Of The Game Redshirt junior quarterback Devin Gardner didn't quite amass the monster numbers of predecessor Denard Robinson did in victories against Notre Dame in 2010 and 2011. Robinson had 502 yards total offense in 2010 (258 rushing and 244 passing) and 446 in 2011 (338 passing and 108 rushing). However, Gardner still controlled the game with his arm (21-of-33 passing for 294 yards with four touchdowns) and his legs (13 carries for 82 yards) for 376 By lou somogyi yards total offense. Gardner 's performance probably better resembled Wolverine freshman quarterback Tate Forcier's in the 38-34 victory over Notre Dame in 2009, when he completed 23 of 33 throws for 240 yards and rushed 13 times for 70 yards. His pass and rush attempts were the same. Gardner was especially masterful at getting rid of the ball right when it seemed he was on the verge of getting sacked or extending the play while making Irish defenders repeatedly miss. Defensive Drop-Off Last September it became evident that Notre Dame possessed a championshiplevel defense, especially after back-toback games where it did not allow touchdowns versus Michigan State and Michigan. After two games this year, it's likewise becoming clear that the 2013 Notre Dame defense can be pretty good but is not championship caliber. There were some red flags in the opener against Temple when the Irish allowed 362 yards total offense and watched quarterback Connor Reilly break loose for 65 yards rushing. A couple of missed Temple field goals and other blown opportunities masked some deficiencies, but Michigan exploited them to the tune of 41 points, while quarterback Devin Gardner (294 yards passing and 82 yards rushing) controlled the contest and repeatedly evaded blitzes or other pass rushes. Despite the return of seven starters on defense, there is a void at covering the quarterback runs and scrambles on passing plays.