Rich Rodriguez fulfills a promise with an upset victory against Notre Dame
That demoralizing game in South Bend last year, Sept. 13, 2008, showed severe cracks in the foundation of Michigan’s program. After that game, everyone knew just how far the Wolverines had fallen. In the face of all that ugliness that day, Rich Rodriguez stemmed his anger long enough to promise one thing. “Michigan will be back,” he said, defiantly. “Michigan will be back,” he said again for emphasis. Michigan returned Saturday. It returned against the same Notre Dame rival that sent the Wolverines into their tailspin last year, winning 38-34 in a strong upset. On Saturday, the two schools entered their 2009 game merely hoping to make their rivalry relevant again. Instead, they played one for the ages. They slugged back and forth the entire game. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen and the veteran Notre Dame receivers tore apart Michigan’s secondary. But the Wolverines’ offense retaliated. Even when the Wolverines frittered away an 11-point lead late in the game, they never gave up, never looked flustered like last year. Gutted for 490 yards, the Wolverines’ defense nonetheless held when the team needed a stop the most - with about three minutes remaining in the game. With Michigan needing one more miracle, Tate Forcier took control. Michigan’s dynamic freshman quarterback, playing his second college game, looked magnificent, pushing the offense down the field and hitting Greg Mathews for the winning touchdown with 11 seconds remaining. The Wolverines hung on for one more wild play against Clausen and company for the 38-34 win, and pandemonium ensued at the Big House. Michigan football was indeed back. Back with a win over a Top-25 team, back playing with poise, if not polish. Back with an energy and confidence that the Wolverines sorely lacked last year. The thing about Saturday’s win, though, was even if the Wolverines had lost - even if their chances ended with that near-miss one drive before, when Forcier missed a wide-open Kevin Koger on third down - they had shown enough to fulfill Rodriguez’s promise. Win or lose Saturday, they were back. That’s how good they looked, with Brandon Minor smashing through the defensive line, with Forcier showing moxie, with the team rallying every time it looked like Clausen would strike the final blow. Resolve was the one quality Michigan lacked last season; they showed an abundant supply Saturday. Interesting part of Saturday’s win? It raises more questions than a loss would have. Namely, this one: How good is Michigan? Had the Wolverines lost, the post-game perspectives would have been filled with a lot of temperature-taking, using their effectiveness as a barometer for how far they’ve come since last year’s South Bend loss. A close loss, everyone could have nodded in agreement that yes, they were better than last year. Now, with a win, no one really knows the answer. A lot of holes still exist. That much was apparent Saturday. The defense had trouble handling two NFL-quality receivers. The offense misfired an awful lot when Forcier showed his freshman colors. But a 4-0 start is all but assured with games against Eastern Michigan and Indiana ahead, two teams that won’t provide a test like Notre Dame did Saturday. So the answer may not come until October, when the Wolverines have back-to-back road games against Michigan State and Iowa. No one really knows until then. But if there’s anything that came out of Saturday that we do know for sure, it is this: the Wolverines are going to be a lot of fun to watch this season, and more importantly, as Rodriguez promised, Michigan is back.
Pete Bigelow covers sports for Ann Arbor.com. He can be reached at petebigelow@annarbor.com or 734-623-2556.
Comments
Blue1st
Mon, Sep 14, 2009 : 11:33 a.m.
Like said, I'm glad Pryor didn't come now, Tate is much more poised and will be twice as good as Pryor his soph season. One game at a time though. GO BLUE!!
UMthicknthin
Sun, Sep 13, 2009 : 8:16 p.m.
I predicted 8 wins this year. If RR can keep the team up for every game they will surpass that. ND is a good team, they just played a better one yesterday. If we strengthen the D enough by week 12, this could be the year we hold up our end of the rivalry. On another note, there's nothing better than a troll free thread.
ironman3f@hotmail.com
Sun, Sep 13, 2009 : 12:27 p.m.
I agree totally except I think 10 wins muuuuaaahhhaaa
Jon
Sun, Sep 13, 2009 : 12:14 p.m.
RR totally outcoached "fatman". RR had the presence of mind to review a TD that was clearly out of bounds, his foot touched the white stripe, deal "ND whiners". Remember Michigan also should have had a TD when Minor got the ball to the 2 yard line, but Big Blue failed to convert. If Michigan had punched it in the game would have not been quite so dramatic, or close. Michigan rules! Each game they will get better and improve, by seasons end they have 9 wins guaranteed. I think Tressel and his crew better eat there pop-tarts and corn flakes because Big Blue wants to beat OSU even more than Notre Dame. At the end of the season, Michigan will have many victims on there schedule.....
ironman3f@hotmail.com
Sun, Sep 13, 2009 : 12:07 p.m.
I knew how good the offense would be I know what coach did in his 3 other rebuilding programs
ironman3f@hotmail.com
Sun, Sep 13, 2009 : 12:04 p.m.
I think 10 wins or more
A2D2
Sun, Sep 13, 2009 : 11:13 a.m.
After this game and then the Ohio State game, I have to say that I'm glad that Pryer didn't come to Ann Arbor........Tate is the better QB and leader!
kenUM
Sun, Sep 13, 2009 : 9:18 a.m.
ND was arrogant and thought they were going to just stroll through the BIG HOUSE and go home an easy winner..........WRONG. The end of the game, when Coach Rod, The Team, and the Students & Fans gathered to sing the VICTORS was a beautiful site!! Hey Lou, what happened? How do you like your crow served??!!!
tulsatom
Sun, Sep 13, 2009 : 7:37 a.m.
U-M is definitely back as a winning team but how many wins is yet to be determined. Keeping Forcier healthy is a must because there is a big dropoff between him and the rest of the QBs at this stage. The defense will have to step up in order to win against the better teams in the Big Ten and I'm not sure if the personnel is there to do it. Does anyone know why highly heralded Will Campbell isn't playing more?
Deb Burch
Sun, Sep 13, 2009 : 5:08 a.m.
Great weather...GREAT FOOTBALL...Go Blue!!!!
uminks
Sat, Sep 12, 2009 : 11:29 p.m.
We knew UM defense would be the weak link. We just didn't know how good the offense would be. Well it looks darn good to me and may have to carry the D this season. Though, some of the younger players will develop on D through the season. We just need better talent over the next couple years. Match a good UM defense with this offense in a few years and we will explode onto the national stage. I think our offense will be good enough to defeat MSU on the road and IL on the road and we may even upset PSU or OSU at home! I'm still thinking 8-4 or 9-3 is a possibility this season! In another month this offense is only going to improve. I hope we get a big lead against EMU to get Robinson more playing time.
tater
Sat, Sep 12, 2009 : 10:46 p.m.
Plain and simple: Rich Rodriguez outcoached Charlie Weis. ND was called for taunting after their last score; that is simply bad coaching. They should have been called the score before that, too, but weren't. Weis should have told warned the offense after they weren't penalilzed on the second-to-last TD. Then, passing twice when they had the ball with two minutes left was idiotic. Weis gave UM enough time to win the game with eleven seconds to spare. If Weis could coach as well as he can eat, ND would have a chance for that title game their sycophants are all talking about. This should really shut up RR's detractors, both within and outside of the program. RR got his team that is "a year or two away from its prime" to beat a ND team that is in its prime right now. Anyway, it is great to see UM beat what turned out to be a very, very good ND team. And, of course, great to see Jimmah outplayed by a freshman when it counted. Score one for the Forciers in their family rivalry with the Claussens.
azwolverine
Sat, Sep 12, 2009 : 9:43 p.m.
And you were right!
Kubrick66
Sat, Sep 12, 2009 : 9:19 p.m.
Like I said before week one... There's not a team on the Michigan schedule they can't beat.