w i . IRW ,w qw lw- llm qw mr - - - qp - - qw " wFotbal MICHIGAN DEPTH CHART VS. NOTRE DAME Student section block'M' will return Saturday OFFENSE 1. Forcier, Tate Freshman 2. Robinson, Denard Freshman QB R1.Brown, Carlos Senior .Shaw, Michael Sophomore FB 1. Moundros, Marl Redshirt junior SKevin Senior W R Mathews, Greg Senior 2.SouDarryl Sophomore. 'v'\ . Stonum, Darryl Sophomore 2.Savoy, LaTerryal Redshirt sophomore S O 1 . Odoms, Martavious Sophomore I 2.Grady, Kelvin Redshirt Sophomore Tj 1. Koger, Kevin Sophomore IT 2 Webb,Martell Junior LT Ortmann, Mark Redshirt senior 2Dorrestein, Perry Redshirt junior LG 1. Schilling, Steve Redshirt junior 2. Mealer, Elliot Redshirt freshman C 1. Molk, David Redshirt sophomore 2. Khoury, Rocko Redshirt freshman G 1 Moosman, David Redshirt senior 2 Ferrara, John Redshirt junior R T 1. Huyge, Mark Redshirt sophomore 2. Omameh, Patrick Sophomore DEFENSE rE 1.Graham, Brandon Senior D L E 2. Heininger, Will Redshirt sophomore T 1.Van Bergen, Ryan Redshirt sophomore LD T 2. Banks, Greg Junior N T 1. Martin, Mike Sophomore [j 2.SagesseRenaldo Junior 1. Roh, Craig Freshman 0 2. Herron, Brandon Redshirt sophomore LB 1. Ezeh, Obi Redshirt junior 2. Fitzgerald, J.B. Sophomore W 1. Mouton, Jonas Redshirt junior S 2.Leach, Kevin Redshirt sophomore B 1. Brown, Stevie Senior 2. Simmons, Floyd Redshirt freshman 1. Warren, Donovan Junior 2. Turner, J.T. Freshman SS iWoolfolk, Troy Junior S 1. k r2. Van Slyke, Jared Redshirt sophomore F 1. Williams, Mike Redshirt sophomore 2. Stewart, Charles Fifth-year senior RC 1. Cissoko, Boubacar Sophomore RC 2. Floyd, J.T. Redshirt freshman AP PHC Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen will try to redeem himself this year in the Big House after his dismal freshman performance. Rivalry, hype return to Michigan Stadium By ANDY REID Daily Sports Editor Over the last two seasons, there have been a few tweaks to the Mich- igan Stadium game-day experience, most of which have been met with various levels of resistance. Many Michigan football tradi- tionalists hated the piped-in music played during last Saturday's win over Western Michigan, and we all know the fiasco surrounding the construction of the giant luxury boxes, most of which has subsided by now. But there's one up-and-coming tradition that came without contro- versy. During last year's epic 27-25 comeback win over Wisconsin, stu- dents wore T-shirts to create a giant, blue block 'M' amidst the rolling maize sea of the student section. No one had ever seen anything like it in Michigan Stadiumhistory, and from the aerial view of the ABC cameras, it was a strikingsite on national TV. And if you're in the Big House on Saturday for the Notre Dame game, you'll see that 'M' tower over the playing field during a September home game for the second straight year. , "I think was a success the first time, and it was also the second big- gest comeback in Michigan football history - so who knows? I guess Last September, in the weeks leading up to the Wisconsin game, you were more likely to see Chin- sky and his friends sprinting across the stadium than varsity athletes using the massive structure for stair training. On the tunnel side of the Big House, there's a giant yellow 'M' painted in the bleachers. Chinsky and his Engineering buddies ran from the student section to the 'M' to meticulously measure it, scale it down and use it as ameasuringstick for their eventual'M.' The bowl, which steepens as you get farther from the field, presented logistical issues as well, and the whole time, he wanted to make sure everything was just right. "We knew we wanted the block 'M,' not just an M," Chinsky said. "At Michigan, we don't have just an M." In the future, the responsibilities of the stunt will be passed onto the newly created Athletic Relations sect of the Michigan Student Assem- bly, of which Chinsky is currently the chair. That way, it could become a big tradition in the Big House. "So 25 years from now, when I'm sitting home on my couch one Sat- urday in September or October, I'll see a full maize stadium, including the alumni, and also the Block 'M,"' Chinsky said. By COURTNEY RATKOWIAK Daily Sports Editor The Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry goes back to 1887, but look- ing at only the past two games is enough to set the scene for Satur- day. The hype surrounding this year's game is comparable to that in 2007, the last time the Fighting Irish visited Michigan Stadium. Both teams were 0-2 and desper- ately needed a win to avoid disas- ter. Now, the teams are both 1-0- and desperate for a win to gain credibility. Leading up to both games, the Wolverines were thinking big and talking boldly. "We're going to win next week. There's nts question in my mind. I guarantee we win next week," Mike Hart said a week before the 2007 game. "I can't wait - we owe them. We owe them," said freshman run- ning back Michael Shaw moments after the end of last week's West- ern Michigan game, channeling a bit of Hart's earnestness . The key for Notre Dame as it comes to Michigan Stadium for Saturday's 3:30 p.m. game will be shutting down the Michigan defense and shutting up the home crowd early, something the Irish couldn't do when they were shel- lacked 38-0 two years ago. The Wolverines dominated, demoral- izing the Irish by forcing turn- overs on three of their first five drives. "It was one of those situations where you go in there not know- ing how things are going to go for us or go for them, because they were struggling a little bit at the time when we went up there ... and the fans were ready to turn on them, and the fans had a big party that day at our expense," said Weis during his weekly press con- ference Thursday. "And I didn't enjoy it very much." Weis also hasn't enjoyed his recent on-the-field history with first-year Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Robinson. Last year, days after Robinson had been fired from his head coach- ing job at Syracuse, he took his 2-8 team to South Bend and beat Notre Dame 24-23 on a last-sec- ond touchdown. That dropped Notre Dame's record to 6-5, leav- ing the team panicking with bowl contention on the line in its last game. Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis said that he's preparing for the Robinson brand of defense by watching both Syracuse and Michigan tape to prepare for Sat- urday's game. Robinson's game plan will be centered around con- taining a much-improved Jimmy Clausen and star wide receivers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd. "You know they're going to take some shots deep ball if they get one-on-one matchups,"Rodriguez said. "They'll throw it deep to the wide receivers and let them make a play, so we've got to be prepared for that. If we play soft, they're going to take hitches and slants underneath. We've got to break on the ball, do some things to create some pressure and not let (Claus- en) get comfortable." But even with both teams on the upswing this year, Michigan can't, of course forget last year's Notre Dame game. The rain, the fumbles, the sloppiness and the questions that followed spurred Rodriguez to say after the game, "Michigan football will be back. All the naysayers out there, what- ever. I'm disappointed but I'm not discouraged. Michigan football will be back." One year later, his words finally have the potential to possibly ring true. FIL EPHOTO The student section wore free blue T-shirts to create a block 'M'last year at the Wisconsin home game. we'll find out Saturday," said MSA licate that in Ann Arbor. In the fall time in order to get to do ita second representative Andrew Chinsky, of his freshman year, Chinsky called time," Chinsky said. "You know, the mastermind behind the compli- the Michigan Athletic Department Michigan has a very rich tradition, cated stunt. about the idea. obviously, and if things don't go Chinsky is from Pennsylvania, But with the season already half right, then people get nervous about and many of his friends at Penn State over at the time, it would have been what's going to end up." told him about the Nittany Lion impossible to do. Instead, Chinsky The preparation has been much Club - if you've ever seen a Penn kept in contact with people in the easier this season, since Chinsky State home football game, you've Athletic Department and started kept the blueprints they created for seen the giant block 'S' in the stu- talking with some friends in the the 'M' last season, but they have dent section during a White Out. He School of Engineering to come up made some changes. Instead of in said his friends told him the atmo- with some block 'M' schematics. the middle of the student section, sphere at games increased dramati- "I think everyone involved was where the curve of the bowl warped cally when they successfully pulled pretty nervous about it, because it's it a little last year, the 'M' will be off the'S,'so Chinsky wanted to rep- important for it to go right the first moved behind the band. Clausen and Co. will be too much for Wolverine defense By MICHAEL EISENSTEIN and RUTH LINCOLN Daily Sports Editors MICHIGAN OFFENSE VS. NOTRE DAME DEFENSE If you saw Tate Forcier's touch- down pass to Junior Hemingway last Saturday and got a warm, fuzzy feeling about the rest of the season, just remember: That was Western Michigan's defense. Notre Dame should be a much bigger challenge for Forcier and true freshman quarterback Denard Robinson. And with Hemingway questionable for Saturday, the pass- ing game's not looking as good for the Wolverines. Last week, the Irish defense gave head coach Charlie Weis his first career defensive shutout in South Bend with an easy 35-0 win over Nevada. The Irish are deepest in the sec- ondary, where they boast a con- tingent of four returning starters - cornerbacks Darrin Walls and Robert Balton and safeties Kyle McCarthy and Harrison Smith. Smith moved back to his natural position this season after spending last season at outside linebacker. On the bright side, the Irish defensive line is underdeveloped. Despite the shutout, Notre Dame surrendered 7.3 yards per rush- ing attempt on first down against Nevada. If tailback Carlos Brown can come through with the type of performance he showed last week, the Wolverines should pick up enough offenseonthe ground. With the weak defensive line and young linebacker corps, this could be the breakout game for Robinson. The Big House just saw a glimpse of Robinson's blazing speed last Sat- urday, and if Michigan can't get its passing game going, expect to see more of him. Edge:Push NOTRE DAME OFFENSE VS. MICHIGAN DEFENSE The two guys to watch and poten- tially scream four-letter words at Saturday are Notre Dame receivers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd. It's all going to come down to how If Michigan beats the Fighting Weis is able to plan against Wol- Irish, it will be because junior cor- verine defensive coordinator Greg nerback Donovan Warren and soph- Robinson's schemes, which will omore cornerback Boubacar Cissoko continue to become more and more were able to contain one of the top disguised as the season progresses. receiving duos in the country. We give the advantage to the More likely, it will be a difficult Irish, but if Warren and Cissoko battle with Notre Dame trying to keep all the big-play balls in front capitalize on its biggest advantage. of them, Michigan will be in good Warren seemed very excited for shape. the challenge at Monday's press Edge:Notre Dame conference, but he and Cissoko each must overcome height disadvan- INTANGIBLES tages of two-plus inches against two Somehow on the same week- receivers that are great at going up end as the Southern Cal-Ohio State and bringing down any ball nearby. matchup, Michigan and Notre Coupled with Michigan's depth Dame are hogging the front page of issues in the secondary and three- ESPN.com. year starterJimmy Clausen at quar- It's safe to say the age-old rivalry terback for Notre Dame, this will is back on the national stage. be a much bigger challenge for the The Wolverines are obviously physical backs than the one posed looking to avenge their 3-9 season, by Western Michigan. similar to how the Irish bounced Irish fullback James Aldridge, a back from a terrible year two sea- former rivals.com five-star recruit, sons ago to win a bowl game. And is out for the game, which certainly Notre Dame is being discussed as a hampers a rush attack that won't be potential BCS bowl contender. It's a as much of a concern for Michigan. proving ground for both on a huge stage after each team made a name for itself in the opening week in dominant fashion. Edge:Push SPECIAL TEAMS It wasn't spectacular, but the Wolverines' return game against Western Michigan had to make Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez smile. No fumbles. It was a refreshing change from last year's unforced error-ridden season, with the worst performance coming in South Bend where the Wolverines had four fumbles on returns. Kickoff and punt coverage boded well for the Irish last week against Nevada, holding the Wolf Pack to just 17.6 yards per kickoff return. Punter Zoltan Mesko is the dif- ference maker here, averaging 47.5 yards per punt last week. Edge: Michigan SCORE: NOTRE DAME WINS 31-28 SPECIAL TEAMS P K KR 1. Stonum, Darryl Sophomore 2. Odoms, Martavious Sophomore 2bOlesnavage, Jason Fifth-year senior 1. Mesko, Zoltan Fifth-year senior 2. Gibbons, Brendan Freshman 2. Wright, Bryan Redishirt junior Note: Depth chart as predicted by Daily football writers.