Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Top Storylines By Lou Somogyi 948 The day before Notre Dame’s 1976 opener against Pitt — the eventual national champion that year — 1956 Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung spoke at the Irish pep rally. A year earlier, Pitt running back and Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett shredded the Notre Dame defense for 303 yards rushing and also caught three passes for 71 yards in a 34-20 Panthers victory. Even as a freshman in 1973, Dorsett rushed for 209 yards in a loss to the national champion Irish. Hornung, who was working the Notre Dame Sunday Replays, promised the charged-up audience that he would “jump out of the press box if No. 33 of Pittsburgh [Dorsett]” gains 200 yards on the Irish again. His proclamation evoked jubilation … but upon further review, the realization was that he was conceding 199 yards to a supreme running back. Despite a 61-yard run by Dorsett on Pitt’s first play during their 31-10 thumping of Notre Dame, Hornung did not need a parachute in the press box. Dorsett finished with “only” 181 yards on 22 carries, and fortunately he sat out the last two series for Pitt. “In the history of Notre Dame football, it is not likely that any one player ever stirred such terror in so many Irish heads or clouded up so many Irish eyes,” wrote Sports Illustrated of Dorsett. Michigan senior quarterback Denard Robinson might become an exception. Never in Notre Dame football annals has one opponent had such mind-boggling production in back-to-back victories than Robinson’s 948 yards of total offense the past two seasons. As a sophomore in 2010, he led Michigan to a 28-24 victory at Notre Dame with 502 yards total offense — 258 rushing and 244 passing. Last year in Michigan’s amazing 35-31 come-from-behind victory, Robinson was “limited” to 446 yards total offense — 338 passing and 108 rushing. He has had the golden touch against Notre Dame in so many ways: • In 2010, he had the second-longest run ever from scrimmage against the Irish, an 87-yard touchdown (behind only Michigan State’s Dick Panin 88-yard dash in 1951). He also scored the game winner with 27 seconds left in the contest. His 258 yards rushing were the third-most against Notre Dame, behind Dorsett’s 303 in 1975 and the 261 by USC’s Charles White in 1979. • In 2011, Robinson did his most damage via the pass. Despite tossing three interceptions, his 11 completions netted 30.8 yards per pass. Michigan’s rally from a 24-7 deficit began with Robinson releasing a pass while in the clutches of Irish lineman Kapron Lewis-Moore that went for 77 yards to Junior Hemingway — who also caught a 43-yard TD from Robinson earlier in the game. On the game-winning drive, Robinson connected with Jeremy Gallon for 64 yards and then followed with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree with only two seconds left. • His 44 career carries against Notre Dame have totaled 366 yards — 8.3 yards per carry — with three touchdowns. One of his scores came last year when he scooped up his own fumble at the Irish 1-yard line. • His 582 yards passing versus the Irish have averaged 9.1 yards per attempt. Against Air Force on Sept. 8, Robinson rushed for 218 yards and passed for 208. Incredibly, he accounted for 426 of Michigan’s 422 yards during the 31-25 victory against the Falcons. In the process, he also became the first quarterback in Football Bowl Subdivision history to rush and pass for at least 200 yards in one game at least three times in his career (Texas’ Vince Young pulled it off twice). If holding Dorsett to less than 200 yards rushing was a standard for Notre Dame back then, what would be the total offense bar be for Robinson this year? 300? 250? Is Robinson stoppable? Defenses at Michigan State and Virginia Tech last year, plus Alabama this year, have demonstrated it can be done. The primary objective seems to be to take away the run and dare him to beat you with the pass. • Robinson had only 10 carries for 27 yards in the 41-14 loss to Alabama on Sept. 1. He completed 11 of 26 passes for 200 yards with two interceptions, but the Crimson Tide limited him to 227 total yards. • Although Michigan defeated Virginia Tech (23-20) in last year’s Sugar Bowl, Robinson’s 13 carries netted 13 yards, and he completed only 9 of 21 passes for 117 yards. That’s 130 yards of total offense. • In Michigan 28-14 loss to Michigan State last season, Robinson’s 18 carries totaled 42 yards, and he completed only 9 of 24 pass attempts for 123 yards. That’s 165 yards of total offense. Other programs have proven they could do it. By the third season under Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, Notre Dame will be expected to have a better plan in place. The proper execution of it will be even more important. Senior Swan Song No Notre Dame four-year graduating class has ever experienced a 0-4 record against Michigan. Since the renewal of the series between the two schools in 1978, Michigan holds a 14-13-1 edge in the 28 games played between two of the elite programs in college football annals. The Wolverines nudged ahead on the strength of three consecutive 11th-hour victories the past three years. • With 11 seconds remaining in 2009, freshman quarterback Tate Forcier connected with Greg Mathews on a five-yard score for a 38-34 win. • In 2010, quarterback Denard Robinson’s two-yard scoring run with 27 seconds left capped a 12-play, 72-yard drive in a 28-24 conquest. • Last year was the miraculous-like 80-yard drive in which Michigan took possession with only 30 seconds remaining. It concluded with a 16-yard scoring pass from Robinson to Roy Roundtree with two seconds on the clock. Notre Dame defeated Michigan four straight from 1987-90. The Wolverines will attempt the same from 2009-12, a feat that Irish seniors such as linebacker Manti Te’o and tight end Tyler Eifert, among many others, will endeavor to halt. Tale Of The Turnover In Michigan’s three straight conquests of the Irish, it totaled only four turnovers while Notre Dame had nine. Both teams had one apiece in 2009, but in 2010 Robinson and Co. had zero at Notre Dame while three different Irish quarterbacks (Dayne Crist, Tommy Rees and Nate Montana) each threw one interception. It was the first time in 24 years three different Irish signal-callers tossed an interception in the same game. Last year, the Irish picked off three Robinson passes — but it was negated by five of their own turnovers, two of them inside the Wolverine 10-yard line. The last time the Irish defeated Michigan was in 2008 by a 35-17 count. The Wolverines had six turnovers compared to Notre Dame’s two. The Irish probably won’t need to be plus-four in that category to win again, but having fewer than Michigan would be a good start. Take Back The Night Against Michigan in Notre Dame Stadium, the Fighting Irish are only 5-6-1 in day games. At night, though, Notre Dame is 3-0 versus the Wolverines. • The first-ever night game in Notre Dame Stadium was the 1982 opener, a 23-17 victory over Michigan in which a late interception by safety Dave Duerson helped seal the verdict. • The 1988 national title run began with a 19-17 victory versus the Wolverines when Reggie Ho converted a 26-yard field goal with 1:13 remaining in the contest. Michigan’s 48-yard field goal attempt on the final play sailed wide. • In 1990, sophomore quarterback Rick Mirer in his first start found wideout Adrian Jarrell for an 18-yard touchdown with 1:40 remaining to record a 28-24 triumph. This will be Notre Dame’s ninth night game at home, and it is 6-2 overall with last year’s 31-17 loss to USC the most recent contest. The Irish have defeated Michigan all three times, Michigan State twice (1985 and 1987) and Stanford once (1988). In its first-ever night game at Michigan Stadium, the Wolverines rallied to defeat Notre Dame 35-31 last year. This time, the Irish will attempt to take back the night. — Lou Somogyi