Notre Dame Football: Previewing the Michigan Game

Last week's 23-20 debacle against South Florida is finally in the rear-view mirror, but looming large is a date with the University of Michigan Wolverines in the Big House.

In last season's matchup, Denard Robinson and Co. came to South Bend and won a down-to-the-wire contest 28-24.

This season the Wolverines are led by Brady Hoke, a former Michigan assistant who also had head coaching stops at Ball State and San Diego State before returning to Ann Arbor.

With the Irish's BCS hopes on life-support and a new era beginning at Michigan, this should be a game for the ages.

Follow along as we preview the matchup.

Michigan Offense

When Brady Hoke arrived in Ann Arbor, he scrapped former coach Rich Rodriguez's spread option attack in favor of a pro-style scheme.

It was a questionable move as the personnel seems better suited for the old system.

However, a good coach such as Hoke will find a way to make things work.

That might take him a while as the offense struggled to move the ball against Western Michigan on Saturday however.

Michigan only accumulated 288 total yards of offense against a mediocre Mid-American Conference defense.

That figure alone should cause Michigan fans to worry as the team will be facing a formidable Notre Dame defense that held South Florida to 254 yards of total offense.

The key for Michigan's offense against the Irish will obviously be the play of do-it-all quarterback Denard Robinson.

He completed 9-of-13 passes for 98 yards while also carrying the ball eight times for 46 yards; not exactly stellar numbers if you ask me.

Despite the lackluster performance, Robinson did shred the Irish defense for 502 total yards in last season's meeting.

Michigan fans will be hoping he can do the same this year.

Michigan Defense

The Michigan defense was awful last season, ranking 108th nationally in scoring defense, 112th in pass defense and 110th in total defense.

Hired to fix that porous defense is former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Greg Mattison.

He brings with him a 4-3 set that has replaced the 3-3-5 that Rich Rodriguez favored.

In the first test for the Greg Mattison's D, the Wolverines held Western Michigan to 279 yards of total offense and made some tremendous plays.

Brandon Herron had a 94-yard interception return touchdown as well as a 28-yard fumble return touchdown.

While those two spectacular plays may have been an aberration, you can't underestimate the Wolverine defense, especially with Mattison in charge. 

The defense's first test will be attempting to stifle a Notre Dame offense that had its way with South Florida, racking up 508 total yards.

Notre Dame's Keys to the Game

For Notre Dame to beat Michigan, the Irish must do the following things.

1) Contain Denard Robinson: The defense simply can not allow him to run all over the place like he did last season.

2) Keep running the football: Cierre Wood had a spectacular day against USF, finishing with 104 yards on 21 carries. There's no reason to believe he can't do the same against a weaker defense.

3) Avoid turnovers: As simple as that may sound, the Irish offense needs that lesson drilled into their collective heads after last week's five-turnover debacle. Notre Dame can not turn the ball over if it wishes to beat Michigan, or any team for that matter.

4) Win the field position battle: Notre Dame's kick coverage was abysmal last week and led to the defense being placed in unfavorable position all day. The Irish must win the field position battle and make Michigan's offense prove it can move the ball the length of the field.

Michigan's Keys to the Game

Hopes are high in Brady Hoke's first season at Michigan and a win over Notre Dame would be a major spark for the program.

Here are Michigan's keys to beating Notre Dame.

1) Get Denard Robinson going: Like I said earlier, Robinson had his way with the Irish defense last season, accumulating 502 yards of offense. Notre Dame's defenses have struggled mightily against dual-threat quarterbacks in recent seasons.

2) Control the line of scrimmage: Notre Dame has excellent front lines on both sides of the football, so it is crucial that Michigan set the tone early and get a strong push up front.

3) Pass the ball: Notre Dame knows that Michigan is going to run the football, so it's critical that the Wolverines make the Irish defense respect the passing game in order to set up the play-action. That may prove difficult for Michigan as Denard Robinson struggled passing the ball against Western Michigan.

4) Use the crowd! With this matchup being the first night game in Michigan Stadium history, the fans are sure to be more amped up than usual. The Wolverines need to use that home-field advantage to their own advantage.

Conclusion

Notre Dame vs. Michigan. It's one of the most storied rivalries in college football and never fails to live up to the hype.

Michigan has won the last two games in the series, each coming down to the final minutes.

This season's matchup may be the most exciting in recent memory as it will be the first night game in Michigan Stadium history.

The game is also in primetime and on national television (ESPN).

While those circumstances clearly favor Michigan, Brian Kelly will have his team focused and ready to win after starting the season off on a sour note.

Final Score Prediction: Notre Dame 35, Michigan 24