Final score: #19 Michigan 45 #8 Notre Dame 14

Brief recap: Like the rest of the Midwest, Ann Arbor was subject to heavy rainfall, making for an interesting environment at Michigan Stadium for a top 25 showdown between Michigan and Notre Dame. Jim Harbaugh used it to his advantage. The Wolverines ran the ball frequently and efficiently on the Fighting Irish defense, piling up 303 yards on the ground. Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet accounted for a good chunk of the workload, with Tru Wilson taking some carries late. It was all Michigan from start to finish, building a 17-0 first half lead while only throwing one pass in the first 30 minutes. A third quarter touchdown by Notre Dame made things close at 17-7, but Shea Patterson hit Donovan Peoples-Jones for an 8-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead back to 17 points. Michigan added two more touchdowns at the end of the game as insurance.

Key moment: Immediately after Notre Dame’s touchdown to get the deficit down to 10 points, Michigan marched down the field, driving 75 yards on six plays to increase the lead back to three scores. In the past, when the Wolverines might let a team hang around, it squashed its hopes immediately.

Key stat: The combination of wet weather and Michigan’s defense kept Notre Dame’s passing attack at bay. The Irish totaled 133 yards on 11-of-29 pass attempts. Ian Book was rattled all day.

Key player: Haskins didn’t get into the end zone, but he did rack up 149 yards on 20 carries, including a 49-yard run and one really impressive hurdle. On a night when Michigan was leaning heavily on its backs, Haskins pulled through in a big way.

What it means for Michigan: Maybe a B1G title is a longshot, but this was one of three rivalry games remaining on the schedule for Michigan. And after disappointing losses to Wisconsin and Penn State, they’d love to go 3-0 against Notre Dame, Michigan State and Ohio State. There are still some questions whether Harbaugh’s team would be able to do that against the likes of the Buckeyes, but they certainly had their way with Notre Dame on Saturday night. If Michigan can run the ball as well as it did against the Irish, it’s a different team entirely.