Ann Arbor, Mich. – Michigan took care of Mike Hart’s guarantee with ease.
Hart ran for 187 yards on 35 carries and scored two touchdowns, and Ryan Mallett threw for three scores, leading the Wolverines to a 38-0 win over Notre Dame on Saturday.
“You couldn’t write it any better than that,” Hart said.
Michigan handed the Fighting Irish their worst loss since beating them by the same score in 2003. The Wolverines (1-2) also avoided their first 0-3 start in seven decades.
Notre Dame (0-3) is winless after three games for just the second time in school history, putting coach Charlie Weis in unwanted company with Bob Davie. The Fighting Irish have lost five straight for the first time since the 1985-86 seasons, Gerry Faust’s last year and Lou Holtz’s first.
“My confidence isn’t shaken,” Weis said. “But as an organization, we haven’t done a very good job.”
In an unprecedented matchup of the two winningest programs in major college football, Michigan looked like it might not be that bad while the Fighting Irish appeared to be even worse than expected after losing to Penn State and Georgia Tech by a combined 51 points.
“We’re starting training camp tomorrow,” Weis said. “Obviously, after three games, this team is headed in the wrong direction. The only way I know how to fix that is to go back to the start of training camp and start swinging.”
Hart, who after last weekend’s loss 39-7 to Oregon guaranteed the Wolverines would beat Notre Dame, had a sensational performance, even against a defense stacked to stop him.
“I did it to fire myself up, and my team up,” Hart said of the guarantee. “It worked out, I guess.”
Michigan’s defense suddenly was swarming to the football after giving up 73 points in losses to Appalachian State and Oregon.
Irish freshman Jimmy Clausen was 11-of-17 passing for just 74 yards and an interception. Clausen was sacked seven times, leading to Notre Dame’s rushing total of minus-6 yards.
“I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes,” Mallett said. “But he’s a great player.”
Notre Dame prevented Clausen from taking further abuse in the fourth quarter, but had to use Evan Sharpley because backup quarterback Demetrius Jones stunned the team by not showing up for a team meal or the bus trip to Ann Arbor on Friday.
“What happened came as a surprise,” Weis said. “I didn’t find out until 2:15. The buses were going to pull out at 2:30. But I’m not going to use it as an excuse and say our team was distracted.”
Fittingly, Sharpley threw an interception just as it seemed that Notre Dame might avoid a shutout and possibly score a touchdown on offense for the first time this season.
Notre Dame moved the ball enough on the ground on its final drive, however, to avoid breaking its school record of minus-12 yards rushing. But the Irish still had only 79 total yards.
Starting because of an injury to Chad Henne, Mallett was asked to throw just 15 times in his first career start. The freshman had seven completions for 90 yards and TDs to receivers Mario Manningham, Adrian Arrington and Greg Matthews.
“It was everything I dreamed of – a win,” Mallett said.
Henne, who had started each of his 39 games at Michigan, is out with what appears to be a knee injury.
Michigan coach Lloyd Carr has refused to give details, but Henne watched the game with a brace that seemed to be protecting his right knee. Carr said Henne is day to day.
