Michigan Football: Notre Dame at Michigan — What Happened and What It Means — Part I
Posted at 5:30am — 9/9/2013
Michigan Football: Notre Dame at Michigan — What Happened and What It Means — Part I
DEAD CHICKIN’ WALKING
Michigan Wins Historic Game
Dead chicken Walking, dead chicken walking, that should have been the battle cry last night as Michigan won what will become known as the chicken game. Everything tastes like chicken, but some chicken is much sweeter than other chicken. This Big House taste of chicken beat lobster or any prime steak. The final score of under the lights part two was Michigan 41 and Notre Dame 30.
Sep 7, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines fans cheer during the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Hyped as the “Game of the Week” by the TicketCity Blog, this game was sometimes not pretty, but again the entertainment value and drama of the Notre Dame and Michigan match-up was spectacular in. The game was also physical. This time around Michigan did not throw five consecutive interceptions, but instead Devin Gardner put the ball, for the most part, in the hands of his receivers downfield, not in the hands of Notre Dame defenders.
The mere regional rivalry set an all time record for attendance in the history of college football as over 115,000 fans packed the really Big House.
The game had a historical background as Michigan’s greatest player, Tom Harmon, was honored. It is the view here that Mark Harmon was most appreciative for the honor and tribute afforded his father. No one deserved a night like this more than Tom Harmon and his somewhat weird 98 number.
Sep 7, 2013; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Devin Gardner (98) drops back to pass during the second quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
It is also the view here that the recipient of the unretired number 98, Devin Gardner, understands and appreciates the honor bestowed upon him with the last of the legends numbers coming off the shelf.
Gardner had his ups and downs in the game, specifically one horrible down moment trying to be a combination of Zeus and Superman. But around this seven-point gift he threw Notre Dame’s way, Gardner threw for almost 300 yards and ran for over 80 yards. Most importantly, he put the ball in the endzone on passes four times and ran a little search and destroy twist on the goal line for a fifth score.
The importance here is that Michigan, unlike last year, did not become a turnover factory in the redzone or become forced to settle for a couple of field goals. Remember, this Irish defense was a top ten unit last year. Gardner really had it together the first half, getting to the edge, running play action very effectively, running to keep drives alive, and throwing some pinpoint passes to receivers open enough to cause damage. Credit needs to be given to the coaching staff for planning and preparation and to the passing unit for execution.
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Written by GBMWolverine Staff
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