The Wolverine Now

Hoke wasn't about to toss a yellow one on any play calls. "If we get behind the guy and throw the ball a little deeper, it's a pretty good play call," he assured. Meanwhile, the Irish made Michigan pay for its next turnover. Robinson gunned a strike on third-and-long, but right on the numbers of ND linebacker Manti Te'o, who raced back 28 yards with it to the U-M 17. Michigan's defense held firm, but Kyle Brindza nailed a 33-yard field goal to put the Irish on top, 3-0, at the 10:09 mark of the second quarter. Suddenly, a game the Wolverines dominated statistically over the opening 20 minutes had Irish eyes smiling. They flew wide open on the very next play from scrimmage, cornerback Ben- nett Jackson picking off another Robinson throw and setting the Irish up at the U-M 39. Two quick Golson tosses put the ball on the 10, but then it was ND's turn to see the red zone turn into a stop sign. Golson rolled right and floated a pass for paydirt. U-M redshirt junior safety Thomas Gordon made the interception, then hung on as the Irish tried to claw the ball away. But the chances just kept coming, dur- ing Robinson's nightmarish first half. Un- der pressure, he fired an interception for the third straight series, this one tipped and picked off by Te'o at the U-M 48. "Bad passes. Forcing it," Robinson ag- onized afterwards. "A guy in my face? Don't force it. Just try to make a move. Try to do what I can do to move the ball downfield a little bit." Under the subbed-in Rees, the Irish drove to the U-M 1, backed up to the 11 via penalty, and faced third-and-goal from there. But freshman safety Jarrod Wilson interfered with tight end Tyler Eifert in the end zone, setting the Irish up with first down at the 2. Rees scored on a keeper to make it 10-0 with 1:21 remaining in the half. That — and a subsequent Hail Mary throw by Rob- inson, picked off by ND — ended one of the most confounding halves of football ever by the Wolverines. Those in maize and blue didn't know whether to curse the offensive mistakes that kept them out of the lead, or thank Intercep- tion Jesus that they hadn't been blown out of the building after five first-half pickoffs. Make that, interceptions on five consecutive passes Michigan attempted. "We always try to go to the next play," Hoke said. "I mean, you have to … you've got to move forward." The second half opened with the foot- ball still well oiled for the Wolverines, but this time with a twist. They drove from their own 21 to the ND 10, but Robinson fumbled trying to pick up the first down, Jackson pouncing on it at the Irish 8. That made it six straight possessions, six straight turnovers, and counting. But the Wolverines pitched a third-quar- ter shutout and just kept hammering away on offense. A 42-yard drive finally cracked the scoreboard, Gibbons punching through a 33-yard field goal at the 13:10 mark of the fourth quarter. Almost miraculously, the turnover-dev- astated Wolverines found themselves in a one-score game. The Irish, though, drove right back downfield 53 yards, Brindza nailing a 39- yard field goal with just 6:46 left, putting the Irish back in control, 13-3. Gibbons struck back with a 31-yarder with 3:27 remaining, making it 13-6 and giving the Wolverines hope for one more miracle finish against the Irish. But there wasn't one this time around. Notre Dame made plays to run out the clock, unwrapping all the gifts to go 4-0, while U-M plunged to 2-2, with two weeks prior to the Big Ten opener to ponder what might have been. ❑ THE WOLVERINE • PAGE 2

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