Notre Dame ends Michigan rivalry with a rout

Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, IND.

Everett Golson threw three touchdown passes and No. 16 Notre Dame said so long to Michigan on Saturday night with a 31-0 victory, the Fighting Irish’s most dominant performance in the historic rivalry that’s now about to take a hiatus.

Game No. 42 between in a rivalry that has been off-and-on for more than 100 years is the last scheduled. Notre Dame broke off the series a couple years ago to make room on its schedule to accommodate its new arrangement with the Atlantic Coast Conference. Michigan didn’t take it well.

But with a chance to take a parting shot at the Irish, the Wolverines got hit with a haymaker and were handed their most lopsided loss in the series. And they were shut out for the first time since 1984, snapping an NCAA record streak.

Golson was 23 for 34 for 226 yards.

Devin Gardner was 19 for 32 for 189 yards and committed four second-half turnovers.

The last time Michigan didn’t score in a game was Oct. 20, 1984, against Iowa, a 26-0 loss.

This one will probably sting longer, considering the circumstances.

Notre Dame asked out of the series three years ago. Coach Brady Hoke jokingly accused the Fighting Irish of chickening out before last year’s game at Ann Arbor. Then after Michigan beat the Irish, “The Chicken Dance” blared through the sound system at the Big House.

Golson was pinpoint and poised in the first half, leading Notre Dame to a 21-0 lead. His 1-yard strike, rolling to his left, to Amir Carlisle made it 14-0 with 3:58 left in the second quarter.

Golson mostly worked the intermediate and short middle of the field, until he went deep down the sideline on a third-and-1 to Will Fuller, who stretched to make the catch and still keep a foot inbounds for a 24-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left.

The Wolverines had a couple of good drives into Notre Dame territory in the first half that stalled and resulted in missed field goals. But the offense devolved into Gardner needing to make a play under pressure far too often. It didn’t work in 2013 and it had no chance against Jaylon Smith, Sheldon Day and Notre Dame’s feisty defense.