Notre Dame Hangs On to Beat Michigan 24-17 in Shea Patterson’s Debut

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Starting the 2018 season with high expectations, the No. 12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish scored a 24-17 home victory over the No. 14 Michigan Wolverines on Saturday night.

The Irish started quickly with two touchdowns in the first eight minutes before letting their defense take over. Michigan mustered just 307 total yards in defeat, including 58 on the ground. 

Wolverines quarterback Shea Patterson, who was trying to play hero in his first start with the team, was sacked and stripped by Jerry Tillery on the final drive. Te’von Coney picked the ball up to preserve Notre Dame’s win. 

For the Irish, the most promising development was quarterback Brandon Wimbush‘s passing. The senior finished 12-of-22 with 170 passing yards, 59 rushing yards, one touchdown and one interception. He had just two games last year with a better completion percentage than his 54.5 mark against Michigan. 

He also got some help from his teammates, such as when Chris Finke outmuscled a Michigan defender for a 43-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter:

After losing its last two regular-season games against ranked opponents by a combined 79-28 score in 2017, Notre Dame made an early statement this year with a terrific all-around performance for head coach Brian Kelly. 

What’s Next?

Michigan will look to secure its first win of the season at home next Saturday against Western Michigan. 

The Fighting Irish will stay in South Bend, as they play host to Ball State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday.