Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IN THE TRENCHES ANDREW OWENS A s the final seconds ticked away and the Irish found themselves victorious in their final meeting with Michigan for the foreseeable fu- ture, the Notre Dame student section couldn't help but provide a proper sendoff to an opposition it detests. "Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye," the crowd serenaded the Wolverines with the December 1969 No. 1 song by Steam. After the final whistle, Notre Dame and Michigan went their separate ways and life moved on. On one sideline was a coach confi- dent he has all of the pieces necessary to reach the College Football Playoff. On the other was a coach left in the dust of a stifling Irish performance. "Give Notre Dame credit for how they played," Michigan head coach Brady Hoke said. "It was a total butt- kicking all the way around that we all took. … I think we learned some things that we have to get better at." At the beginning of year four, Hoke's program has created more questions than it has answered. An 11-2 opening season has been followed by years of 8-5, 7-6, and now a September rout at Notre Dame. The Irish, meanwhile, have won consecutive 31-point games to begin the 2014 season. The last time Notre Dame did that to open a campaign was 1951 against Indiana (48-6) and Detroit (40-6). The defense, expected by most to struggle this season af- ter losing so much talent to the NFL, pitched a shutout against the Wol- verines. Both sides of the ball feature young, talented playmakers. "Its success is really in its youth," Irish head coach Brian Kelly said. Irish And Wolverines Head In Different Directions Senior quarterback Everett Golson completed 23 of 34 passes for three touchdowns against Michigan, and has now totaled eight scores with zero turnovers this season. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA