By Scott Haynes, College Football Senior Editor

GAME NOTES: The Charlie Weis Era in South Bend got off to a fast start, as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish made light work of formerly nationally-ranked Pittsburgh in the season-opener a week ago, posting a resounding 42-21 victory at Heinz Field. The victory put the Irish in the top-25 this week, coming in at 20th in the nation heading into this weekend's clash with third-ranked Michigan in Ann Arbor. Lloyd Carr's Wolverines also opened the 2005 campaign on the right foot, knocking off a pesky Northern Illinois team by a score of 33-17. These two programs are the winningest programs in the nation in terms of winning percentage and total victories. Michigan has 842 wins and a .746 winning percentage, while Notre Dame is second with 803 victories and a .744 winning percentage. The Wolverines hold an 18-13-1 series edge coming into this season. Notre Dame is just 6-10 in this series on the road and hasn't won in Ann Arbor since 1993. However, the Irish have won three of the last five meetings overall with the Wolverines, including a stunning 28-20 upset in South Bend a year ago.

Charlie Weis looked masterful in his debut on the sidelines for Notre Dame, as his team really did whatever it wanted against the Panthers. A young team no doubt (seven true freshman played last week), this team will only get better as the season wears on. There certainly seemed to be a big difference offensively, as Notre Dame churned out an eye-popping 502 yards, getting great production on the ground (275 yards), as well as through the air (227 yards). Junior quarterback Brady Quinn looked quite comfortable under center, as he completed 66.7 percent of his passes, with two TDs. Tailback Darius Walker reached 100 yards on the ground, with one TD, while fullback Rashon Powers- Neal hit paydirt three times, on eight carries. Tight end Anthony Fasano led all receivers with four catches and his play in the middle of the field will be crucial this week in Ann Arbor.

The Notre Dame defense got off to a slow start, allowing Pittsburgh to score on its opening drive, but then the team settled in and really played lights out the rest of the way. The Irish held Pittsburgh to just 103 yards rushing in the game, but more importantly, held talented signal-caller Tyler Palko in check, with five sacks and one interception. Junior cornerback Ambrose Wooden was all over the field in the win, leading the team with 12 total tackles. All-American candidate Brandon Hoyte got off to a fast start as well, as the senior linebacker was disruptive upfield, finishing with nine tackles, 4.5 TFLs and two sacks. Middle linebacker Corey Mays posted three tackles, 1.5 TFLs and a sack in support, while safety Tom Zbikowski totaled eight stops and the lone interception.

The Wolverines were also balanced offensively in their season-opening win, as they amassed 447 yards against the Huskies. The team netted 4.3 yards per carry against NIU, resulting in 208 yards, while the passing effort amounted to 239 yards. Quarterback Chad Henne was impressive, completing 21-of-30 passes, for 227 yards and two TDs. His top target by far was senior wideout Jason Avant, who caught nine balls, for 127 yards and one score. Sophomore tailback Mike Hart rolled for 117 yards on the ground with a touchdown, while adding another score on one reception. The offensive line is once again a strength of the Michigan attack, with all five starters well over 300 pounds. The unit did not allow a single sack last weekend and will need to keep Henne out of trouble this week against the attacking Irish.

Defensively, the Wolverines will need to shore some things up heading into this week's action. The team was generous at times against the Huskies, allowing NIU to amass 411 yards of total offense in the game. Most alarming was Michigan's inability to stop the run, allowing 211 yards on a disturbing 6.6 yards per carry. With a potent Notre Dame ground game coming to town, Coach Carr will need to get better production from the front seven in this game. Sophomore linebacker Chris Graham led the Wolverines in tackles last week with 10 stops, including two TFLs. Senior LB Scott McClintock was right behind with nine stops, followed by senior CB Grant Mason's eight tackles. Junior safety Brandent Englemon had five stops and also recovered two fumbles. In all, the Michigan defense forced five turnovers and will need more big plays against the Irish this weekend.

The Notre Dame offense was impressive last week and has not looked that good in years, a testament to Weis' ability to move the chains. A tougher test will come this week in Ann Arbor, but there is no reason to think the Irish can't get it done again. Michigan may be a bit overrated at this time and showed some weaknesses against Northern Illinois in the opener. If any coach can take advantage it is Weis, who could have Notre Dame well on its way to a strong season. However, winning in Ann Arbor has never come easy for UND and Michigan will probably find a way to edge out the Irish here.

Predicted Outcome

Michigan 28, Notre Dame 24