Michigan-Notre Dame: Improvement Chief Goal Of Fierce Rivals

“Hey leprechaun, get off the field,” shouted an antagonistic Michigan fan during last season’s 38-34 victory over Notre Dame.  The taunts, sneers, and insults have been a part of this rivalry since its inception some 123 years ago.

Michigan and Notre Dame have competed for the same athletes, the same coaches and even the same faculty and students.  Both have achieved tremendous success, but there the similarities end. Michigan, the large state-supported public university is a member of the expanding Big 10 Conference. Notre Dame, the small private Catholic university, is a football independent.

At 3:30 pm tomorrow, these two teams will square off for the 37th time at Notre Dame Stadium.  Sorry, there are no national championships on the line, no one is speaking of a perfect season, and most likely, no one is guaranteeing victory.

Ironically, the two schools with the best won-lost percentage in college football have fallen on hard times. Michigan, without a losing season since 1967, has suffered through two straight, while Notre Dame hasn’t been dominant since Lou Holtz left his coaching position in 1996.

But despite the recent failures, many at Notre Dame believe they’ve acquired a new “leprechaun” in head coach Brian Kelly.  Like Michigan mentor  Rich Rodriguez, Kelly also comes from a successful stint at a Big East school. In Kelly’s case, it was Cincinnati, where he posted a 34-6 record in three seasons.

Tomorrow’s game will be a battle of talented spread offenses versus improving but questionable defenses. Denard Robinson, who put up “Heisman like” numbers in Michigan’s 30-10 opening win over Connecticut, must get better support from running backs Michael Shaw and Vincent Smith. Robinson might also have to throw the deep pass on occasion, anything to keep him from carrying the ball 29 times. 

One thing is for sure, you won’t see Notre Dame quarterback Dayne Crist running all over the field. Crist, who like Robinson is making only his second career start, tore an ACL last season and only rushed nine times in last week’s 23-12 win over Purdue.

Perhaps this year’s contest, as many have in the past, will come down to the kicking game. Notre Dame may have an advantage here, with senior David Ruffer connecting on all three of his field goal attempts against Purdue, including a 46-yarder.  Redshirt freshman Brendan Gibbons hit one of two in his windy debut at Michigan Stadium.

Who can forget Remy Hamilton’s 42-yard field goal to beat Notre Dame 26-24 in 1994 or Mike Gillette’s missed attempt as time ran out in the 19-17 Irish win in 1988?

Or what about Rocket Ismail’s two straight kickoff returns for touchdowns in the 1989 Notre Dame victory?

While tomorrow’s game should be competitive, next year’s battle just might be a classic. Should Michigan get past the NCAA investigation, and Rodriguez hang onto his job, the Wolverines should return 16 or 17 starters for the first night game in Michigan Stadium history.