2011 Michigan vs. Notre Dame football game

The 2011 Michigan vs. Notre Dame game was a college football contest played at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and the first night game in Michigan Stadium history. Before a college-football record crowd of 114,804, the Michigan Wolverines beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 35-31 on a touchdown with two seconds left in the game.
Lead-up to the game
The game was billed as "Under the Lights" due to its status at the first home night game in Michigan history. Michigan scheduled the night game back on March 18, 2010. However, this was not the first event at Michigan Stadium to be held at night. Nine months earlier, Michigan played a hockey game against rival Michigan State dubbed The Big Chill at the Big House, with Michigan winning 5-0.
Michigan had previously played three night games against Notre Dame in South Bend, in 1982, 1988, and 1990. The Irish won all three games by a margin of less than a touchdown. The series between the two rivals had recently been marked by close games. Michigan beat Notre Dame in 2009 and 2010, each time scoring the winning touchdown with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game.
Entering the game, Michigan was coming off a 34-10 win over Western Michigan in their opener, which was called late in the third quarter because of lightning. Notre Dame, meanwhile, was coming off a 23-20 upset loss to South Florida in South Bend, which was also delayed by weather.
The game was played one day before the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Before the game, there was a ceremony in which the stadium's video boards displayed the names of the 18 Michigan graduates who died on 9/11.
Game summary
First quarter
The first quarter was all Notre Dame. The Wolverines went three-and-out to start the game. Notre Dame then engineered a 7-play, 57-yard drive, which culminated in Tommy Rees's 7-yard touchdown pass to Theo Riddick, putting the Irish on top 7-0 about six minutes into the game. After another Michigan three-and-out, Notre Dame went on another long drive, going 83 yards in about five-and-a-half minutes. With 1:56 left in the period, Cierre Wood ran the ball in from 4 yards, extending Notre Dame's lead to 14-0.
After the Irish's second touchdown, the Wolverines quickly gave the ball back to Notre Dame when quarterback Denard Robinson's pass was intercepted at the Michigan 39 to end the first quarter.
Second quarter
On Notre Dame's first possession of the second quarter, Michigan finally forced the Irish to punt. However, Michigan still could not get a first down, and the Irish had the ball back again. On 3rd-and-9 from the Notre Dame 36, however, Rees' pass was intercepted by Jordan Kovacs, and two plays later, Robinson threw 43 yards to Junior Hemingway for the touchdown, putting the Wolverines on the board and cutting the deficit to 14-7.
Notre Dame then went on a time-consuming march, using almost five minutes of clock to drive down to the Michigan 18. However, the drive came up empty when Rees was picked off again. The Wolverines were unable to take advantage and went three-and-out yet again. Michigan would not pick up a first down for the entire first half.
On Notre Dame's next possession, David Ruffer kicked a 38-yard field goal with 1:40 left in the half, extending the Irish lead to 17-7. That score held up until halftime as Michigan took a knee to end the half.
Third quarter
Leading 17-7, Notre Dame took the ball to start the half and made it down to the Michigan 41, but were stopped on a 3rd-and-1 and were forced to punt. Michigan also punted on their first drive of the second half. On the ensuing Notre Dame possession, Jonas Gray ran 38 yards to the Wolverines' 30, but Wood fumbled the ball two plays later, and Michigan recovered. Michigan, however, was unable to capitalize as Robinson's pass from the Michigan 43 was intercepted by Zeke Motta.
On their next possession, the Irish extended their lead to 24-7 with 2:13 left. Michigan responded, however, with a 77-yard Robinson pass to Junior Hemingway on their first play from scrimmage. Michigan could not reach the end zone on its next two plays, and the game entered the fourth quarter with Notre Dame leading 24-7, but the Wolverines were knocking on the door.
Fourth quarter
Michigan started the fourth quarter at Notre Dame's 1-yard line. On the first play from scrimmage, Robinson fumbled the ball, but he recovered it and ran it into the end zone for a TD, cutting the Michigan deficit to 24-14. The Irish then went three-and-out on their next drive. On the ensuing Michigan possession, Robinson completed a 15-yard pass to John McColgan at the Irish 30. Three play later, Robinson threw a 14-yard touchdown to Jeremy Gallon, pulling the Wolverines within 24-21 with 10:47 to play.
On their next possession, Notre Dame converted a 3rd-and-15 and eventually reached the Michigan 7 with just over six minutes left and a chance to put the game away. However, on 1st-and-goal, Rees fumbled the ball away, giving possession back to Michigan, albeit deep in their own territory. On the second play of the drive, on 2nd-and-9 from Michigan's own 10, Robinson threw a 45-yard completion to Hemingway. The Irish were then flagged for roughing the passer, which tacked on 15 extra yards and moved the ball down to the Notre Dame 30. However, on the Wolverines' next play, Robinson's pass was intercepted in the end zone, giving the Irish the ball back with 4:23 left.
On Notre Dame's next possession, Wood was stuffed on a 3rd-and-1 play, which forced the Irish to punt, and Michigan took possession with 2:16 remaining. Robinson started the drive with an 8-yard rush to midfield. After an incompletion on second down, Robinson barely converted the 3rd-and-2, giving the Wolverines a first down at the 48 with 1:41 to play. He then found Kelvin Grady at the Notre Dame 21 for a 27-yard completion. On the next play, Robinson threw to Vincent Smith for a 21-yard TD with 1:12 to go, giving Michigan their first lead of the night at 28-24.
The finish
On the first play of the ensuing Notre Dame drive, Rees' pass from the Irish 39 was incomplete, but Michigan was flagged for pass interference, which gave Notre Dame a first down at the Michigan 46. Rees then threw to Tyler Eifert for another first down and a 12-yard gain down to the 34. After a gain of 5 yards to the Michigan 29, Rees' next pass was incomplete, bringing up 3rd-and-5. Rees then linked up with Riddick on a 29-yard touchdown pass, putting the Irish back in front 31-28 with 30 seconds left and silencing the record crowd at the Big House.
Kyle Brindza's ensuing kickoff went 70 yards and landed in the end zone for a touchback, giving Michigan the ball at their own 20. Robinson's first pass was incomplete, but on the next play, he threw to a wide-open Gallon, who caught the ball near midfield and eluded three Notre Dame defenders before getting out of bounds at the Notre Dame 16, stopping the clock with 8 seconds left. At that point, the ESPN commentators were suggesting on the live TV broadcast that Hoke go for the game-tying field goal. However, on the next play, Robinson threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Roy Roundtree in the extreme right-hand area of the end zone (the first time Roundtree caught a pass all night) to give Michigan a 35-31 lead with just two seconds to go. The touchdown was reviewed and later upheld as the video replay showed that Roundtree's feet both landed in bounds. After the touchdown, the Wolverines decided to squib kick the ball, which Notre Dame fumbled. Michigan's Terrence Robinson recovered it and almost scored with no time left on the clock, but he lost control of the ball, ending the game with a 35-31 Michigan victory.
Scoring summary

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