Shea Patterson, No. 19 Michigan Dominate Ian Book, No. 8 Notre Dame in Upset

The 19th-ranked Michigan Wolverines spoiled the No. 8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish's College Football Playoff hopes by routing their rival 45-14 at the Big House on Saturday night.

It marks Michigan's first victory in the rivalry since 2013, snapping a two-game losing streak. The Wolverines have now defeated the Fighting Irish five consecutive times in Ann Arbor, a streak that began in 2007.

Notre Dame falls to 5-2 on the season.

Notable Performances

Notre Dame

QB Ian Book: 8/25, 73 yards, one touchdown; six carries, 13 yards

RB Tony Jones Jr.: eight carries, 14 yards

TE Cole Kmet: two catches, 25 yards, one touchdown

Michigan

QB Shea Patterson: 6/12, 100 yards, two touchdowns

RB Zach Charbonnet: 15 carries, 74 yards, two touchdowns

RB Hassan Haskins: 20 carries, 149 yards

WR Donovan Peoples-Jones: two catches, 28 yards, one touchdown

WR Nico Collins: one catch, 16 yards, one touchdown

Michigan's Ground Game Prevails in Rainy Conditions

A steady downpour made it difficult for either quarterback to have success. The good news for head coach Jim Harbaugh is that the Wolverines running backs were more up for a heavy workload.

Michigan made it clear right from the start that it was not going to mess around trying to throw the ball in the rain. Through the first four drives, the Wolverines ran the ball 23 times while attempting four passes, with their first completion coming almost four minutes into the second quarter.

Even though head coach Brian Kelly and Co. knew what was coming, the Fighting Irish defense had no answer.

The Wolverines jumped out to a 17-0 lead by running for 162 yards, on 7.0 yards per carry, and two touchdowns over the course of the first four drives.

Michigan wound up running for 303 yards on the night, with Hassan Haskins (149) and Zach Charbonnet (74 yards) leading the way.

Though the Wolverines are unlikely to reach the CFP with two losses, it's an important victory for the program. Harbaugh entered Saturday night having struggled mightily in high-profile games, including an 0-1 record against Notre Dame:

Matchups with Michigan State and No. 3 Ohio State still remain on the schedule.

Notre Dame Fails to Earn Signature Victory as CFP Hopes Diminish

Notre Dame played well enough during a Sept. 21 loss at Georgia that it had an opportunity to play itself back into the CFP picture with a strong performance down the stretch.

Any chance the Fighting Irish had of being included in the final four likely vanished in Ann Arbor on Saturday night.

After Ian Book and the offense saw their opening drive stall near midfield, Notre Dame appeared poised to start its second drive near the red zone. However, a fumble on a Wolverines punt prevented the Fighting Irish from taking over with a short field—and it was all downhill from there.

Five of Notre Dame's six first-half possessions ended in a punt, as the offense could only muster up a total of 52 yards and three first downs in the first two quarters. The only drive that didn't result in a punt ended in a turnover on downs, as the Fighting Irish managed just six yards in four plays after starting at the Wolverines' 42-yard line.

Even though the rain let up in the second half, the offense was never able to find a rhythm.

Notre Dame is now 0-2 against teams currently ranked in the Top 25. It does not face another ranked team over the course of its final five games, providing very little chance to send a message to the committee.

What's Next?

Both teams will be back in action Nov. 2. Notre Dame will return home to South Bend to host Virginia Tech, while Michigan will hit the road for a Big Ten battle at Maryland.

The next meeting between these two storied programs is not scheduled until 2033.