Michigan beats Notre Dame 35-31 on late TD
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Denard Robinson stunned Notre Dame in the final minute again.
He threw a 16-yard pass to Roy Roundtree with 2 seconds left, lifting Michigan to a 35-31 heart-pounding win over Notre Dame on Saturday night.
The Wolverines took their first lead on Robinson's 21-yard pass to Vincent Smith with 1:12 left, then lost it.
Briefly.
Tommy Rees threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Theo Riddick with 30 seconds left, but the Fighting Irish left Jeremy Gallon wide open on a pass that let Michigan go from its 20 to the Notre Dame 16.
The Wolverines (2-0) have won three straight against the rival Irish (1-1) on late-game plays by their quarterbacks. Last year at Notre Dame, Robinson ran for a touchdown with 27 seconds left and Forcier threw a TD pass against the Irish two years ago with 11 seconds left.
The Wolverines have won three straight over Notre Dame for the first time since 1908. The first night game Michigan Stadium lived up to the hype.
Robinson didn't match his game last year against Notre Dame, when he had a school-record 502 yards, but Notre Dame couldn't stop him when it mattered.
He was 11 of 24 for 338 yards with four TDs and three interceptions and ran 11 times for 108 yards and a score.
That one came on a fortunate bounce, when he scooped up Stephen Hopkins' fumble inside the Notre Dame 1 and trotted in. Junior Hemingway, wearing a patch on his No. 21 jersey in honor of Desmond Howard, caught three passes for 165 yards and a TD.
Notre Dame was doomed by turnovers for the second straight week.
Rees threw two interceptions, one near the end zone, fumbled deep in Michigan territory. Cierre Wood, who gave Notre Dame a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, also fumbled.
In his first loss in five starts, Rees was 27 of 39 for 315 yards with three TDs and two interceptions.
Wood ran for 134 yards and a score on 25 carries.
Michael Floyd caught 13 passes for 159 yards, becoming Notre Dame's career leader in yards receiving and matched a school record with his 15th 100-yard receiving game.