Indeed, for a contest between two unranked teams, Saturday’s game assumed biblical proportions for Irish fans. After a desultory victory against San Diego State last Saturday, and with nearly two dozen recruits watching from the sidelines (not to mention Dr. Lou and some 75 members of the ’88 national champion squad), the Irish could ill afford a diffident performance. Especially with Michigan at an ebb time for its program.

And so, abetted by Wolverine errors all afternoon, the Irish did what good teams do. They capitalized on them. Notre Dame scored three of its five touchdowns off Wolverine turnovers — the last directly, when linebacker Brian Smith recovered a Steven Threet fumble and rambled 35 yards for the game-clinching score on the first play of the fourth quarter.

The season is young, but there are nascent trends developing, positive ones. For the second game in a row safety David Bruton (15 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble) was involved in causing a turnover inside the 5-yard line in the second half. Today, in fact, he forced two.

Extra-special special teamer Mike Anello, who achieved cult-hero status last week with his four tackles, had three more versus the Wolverines while also causing two fumbles. The 5-10, 180-pound former walk-on now has more tackles (7) than any of the Irish defensive linemen.

The O-line, noted before, went a second game without allowing a sack or being flagged for holding. And versus Michigan’s imposing and experienced front four, the Irish actually gained more rushing yards (113, to 105) than they did last week on the same number of carries (34).

Most importantly, players made plays…and those who did so were predominantly underclassmen. Jimmy Clausen, two touchdown passes. Golden Tate, 185 all-purpose yards. Robert Hughes, two touchdowns. Brian Smith, two recovered fumbles and one TD scored. Sophomores, every one.

Michigan actually outgained the Irish today, and handily, 388 yards to 260. But their offense is guided by a redshirt freshman in his first year as a starter. Their best back, Sam McGuffie (and he is already special) and top receiver, Martavious Odoms, are true freshmen.

Watching Michigan’s talented, yet error-prone offense, one was reminded of the ’07 Irish. The Wolverine spread offense is a unit that, as the second-half deluge of showers fell on them, was ironically still getting its feet wet. Perhaps that is why Weis, having endured such a frustrating season last year, has effected a three-word mantra for this one: “Dive right in.”

And yet, on a weekend in which this campus was paid a visit by John R. Roberts, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the jury is still out. The Irish have two home victories against unranked teams, after all, and it has been six years since they opened a season 3-0.

Still, on a weekend in which Charlie Weis had so much to lose, it appears all he lost was his own mobility. “MCL/ACL,” Weis said, providing an official diagnosis. “How do you like that? I feel like an athlete. First time in my life!”

While most of his young roster, for the first time since donning gold helmets, are beginning to feel like winners. “Today it was (this team) stepping up and trying to earn the respect that (senior captain and middle linebacker) Mo Crum was talking about at the pep rally yesterday,” said Weis. “They wanted to make a statement that Notre Dame is not some garbage school out there that everyone can crap on all the time.”

Rain on? Yes. But nothing worse. After exorcising the humiliation of 47-21 and 38-0 losses to Michigan the past two years, these Irish are beginning to believe in one another. In themselves. It may not have been a watershed moment…but unlike last season, the Irish no longer appear in over their heads.

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