Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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The Irish averaged 3.5 long pass plays (20-plus yards) per game in 2012 with Everett Golson under center. After two games in 2013, they have a total of 12. They entered this second week of the season tied for the third most in the country in that category. Notre Dame's running game also ripped of its fair share of big bursts against the Wolverines. Overall, the offense had 18 plays that picked up at least 10 yards. Those plays accounted for all but five of the team's first downs Saturday night. Junior running backs George Atkinson III and Amir Carlisle each had 16-yard rushes. Kyle Brindza Bounces Back After junior Kyle Brindza and fifthyear senior Nick Tausch each missed a field goal in last week's win over Temple, Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly used a week of practice to evaluate the unit and decide which player would handle the responsibilities against Michigan. Kelly went with Brindza on all three field goal attempts Saturday, and the junior converted all three to keep the Irish competitive despite trailing most of the contest. In addition to making field goal attempts of 44, 24 and 40 yards, Brindza handled Notre Dame's punting duties — he finished with a 40.0-yard average on two attempts — with success in a hostile environment. Additionally, four of his seven kickoffs went for touchbacks to round out his special teams performance. "I thought he performed extremely well," said Kelly, who has been adamant that he wants to be careful about throwing too many different tasks at Miscellaneous Notes • Notre Dame fell to 12-7 with head coach Brian Kelly in games played under the lights. They had won six in a row in prime time before falling to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game last January, which makes Saturday's loss to Michigan the first back-to-back losses in night games since losing to Stanford and Florida State to end the 2011 season. • It was a night of firsts for several Notre Dame players. Freshman wide receiver Corey Robinson and sophomore wide receiver C.J. Prosise both made their first career receptions. Junior linebacker Ishaq Williams picked up his first career sack. And junior Stephon Tuitt's picksix in the end zone wasn't his first scoring play, but it was his first career interception. • Notre Dame's defense has surrendered more than 350 total yards in each of its last three games. The Irish gave up 529 to Alabama last January, 362 to Temple in the season opener and 460 to Michigan Saturday night. Prior to that stretch the Irish hadn't allowed their opponents to gain more than 350 yards in back-toback games since October 2011. • Irish junior tight end Troy Niklas made a career-high six catches for 76 yards and one touchdown. All six of those catches came in the second half. "He was open," head coach Brian Kelly said when asked why Niklas became a bigger part of the scheme late in the game. "He's part of our read, and if you're going to take away TJ Jones, then the tight end is open. It's just part of our operation." • Michigan won the time of possession battle, spending an identical 17 minutes, two seconds on offense during the first half and the second half.