CFB: Notre Dame Nudges Michigan
No. 12 Notre Dame got by No. 14 Michigan, 24-17, in their renewed rivalry in South Bend, Indiana last night. It was being dubbed as one of the most important and impactful games of Week 1 because of the College Football Playoff implications, and after 60 minutes, it was Notre Dame who came out on top. QB Brandon Wimbush threw for 170 yards, on 54.5 percent passing, and one touchdown. Coming into the game, the ESPN FPI projected there was a 68.3 percent chance that the Fighting Irish would come out on top. And part of that was because of the uncertainty of Michigan’s QB Shea Patterson. After transferring in from Ole Miss, Patterson made his Michigan debut, and totaled 227 yards and zero touchdowns with one interception.
No matter how you spin his numbers, it was a disappointing debut for the former No. 1 overall recruit because the Wolverines came up on the losing end. Notre Dame RB Tony Jones Jr. went up against the second ranked defense in the nation and recorded 45 yards on nine carries. RB Karan Higdon, for the Wolverines, was able to muster up only 72 yards on 3.4 yards per carry. After starting the season 8-1 last year, Notre Dame folded down the stretch, going 2-2 including a 41-8 loss to Miami. This season is off to a great start and if the Irish can string a handful of wins together then the CFP talk will continue growing louder. Notre Dame finished last season 10-3 behind Wimbush who averaged 155.8 yards per game on 49.5 percent passing.
It was believed by many that he would come back better than ever because of the experience he gained a year ago. On Jim Harbaugh's side of things, the hot seat continues to get hotter as they've lost their last four games dating back to last season. Michigan began last year 8-2, and then ran into the likes of Wisconsin, Ohio State, and South Carolina. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones was expected to have a big year, but he began that with just seven yards against Notre Dame. After falling down 21-3, Michigan made it a game by cutting the deficit to 24-17 before Patterson fumbled away their last chance. Michigan will face Western Michigan, SMU, and Nebraska in the coming weeks. Notre Dame will be favored versus Ball State, Vanderbilt, and Wake Forest.
Photo Credit: Die Hards.
