NO.20 NOTRE DAME 17, NO.3 MICHIGAN 10: Charlie Weis joins Knute Rockne with two road wins to start his Irish career.
By Associated Press
Published September 11, 2005
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Two games into his Notre Dame tenure, Charlie Weis has joined Knute Rockne in the record books.
And though he isn't interested in comparisons to the famed Fighting Irish coach, if Weis keeps winning like he did Saturday at No. 3 Michigan, he might not have a choice.
Brady Quinn threw two touchdowns in the first half and the No. 20 Fighting Irish held on to beat the Wolverines 17-10, making Weis the first Notre Dame coach to win his first two games on the road since Rockne in 1918.
"If I answered by dignifying that, (Bill) Parcells and (Bill) Belichick would humiliate me," Weis said about his coaching mentors when asked about his connection to Rockne. "I've just coached two games and they've played two games. Let's come back and revisit that in about 10 years."
Notre Dame, which won at then-No. 23 Pittsburgh last week, snapped the Wolverines' 16-game winning streak at Michigan Stadium and handed them their first home loss against a nonconference team since 1998. The Irish, two years removed from losing 38-0 in Ann Arbor, also won at Michigan for the first time since 1993.
"I'm happy for the team, but I worry about their heads," Weis said. "I told them to enjoy this tonight, but not too much. You don't want to have a big win like this, then lay an egg at home the next week."
Notre Dame, which started 3-1 last season but finished 6-6, hosts Michigan State on Saturday.
Weis helped New England win three Super Bowls as Belichick's offensive coordinator and earned his first championship ring with the Giants as one of Parcells' assistants.
Against Michigan, the offensive guru began with a shotgun formation and an empty backfield. The Irish didn't use a huddle at times during the opening 12-play drive and didn't have a third down.
"I think that sent a message to start the game like that," said Quinn, who ended the possession with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Rhema McKnight.
The Wolverines slowed Notre Dame's offense, but they squandered several chances in the fourth quarter to pull within a TD before capitalizing on their third opportunity.
"We just made too many mistakes in the red zone," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "You can't get the football down there and give it away like we did and expect to win a game like this."
On fourth and 3, Chad Henne lofted a 25-yard pass to Mario Manningham with 3:47 left to make it 17-10.
The Wolverines then forced Notre Dame to punt, but four incomplete passes later the Irish were celebrating on the sideline. As the final seconds ticked off, players ran into the end zone to celebrate with their fans.
"Coming into the Big House and getting a win can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience," defensive lineman Victor Abiamiri said. "You want to do everything you can to let it sink in."
Instant replay overturned two calls in Notre Dame's favor in the fourth quarter.
On a sneak from inside the Irish 1, Henne was ruled down, but a review showed that he fumbled and that the Irish's Chinedum Ndukwe recovered in the end zone. On the ensuing possession, officials ruled Quinn fumbled, but a review showed his knee was down, allowing the Irish to keep the ball deep in their territory.
