Act like you’ve been there before.
Coaches say it as a way to keep players from going nutty during end-zone celebrations.
It also applies to Michigan after the Wolverines schooled Notre Dame 47-21 on Saturday, a victory that catapulted them to No. 6 in this week’s Associated Press poll. (The Irish fell to 12th.)
Flash back to 2003: A 2-0 Michigan team hammers Notre Dame 38-0, surging to third in the AP poll. Seven days later the Wolverines come crashing down in a 31-27 loss at Oregon.
And last year Michigan began its season win, loss, win, loss, win, loss. So even after reaching the highest of highs at Notre Dame Stadium, the Wolverines were wary of a hangover. Yes, they’ve been here before.
“We know how good we can be, but are we going to do it every week?” tailback Mike Hart said. “Last year we’d have one great week, and then the next week we’d flop. So are we going to be consistent?”
Linebacker Prescott Burgess said: “We have a full season in front of us. This is nothing. We have to continue what we’re doing, and great things will happen to us.”
The first challenge comes Saturday against a Wisconsin team that looks like it belongs in the Southeastern Conference–weak offense, killer defense.
Wisconsin blanked San Diego State 14-0 Saturday to improve to 3-0. But even the Badgers admit that if they don’t improve their passing game, they’ll have no chance against the Wolverines. Receiver Paul Hubbard, who caught a 6-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, said as much after the game.
“We need to step up our preparation for Michigan because the way we played out here against San Diego State, we can’t bring that team to play Michigan,” Hubbard said. “Because that team is going to get clobbered.”
Redshirt freshman tailback P.J. Hill did carry 26 times for 184 yards, but quarterback John Stocco’s passing stats (12 of 23 for 85 yards) were woeful.
“Every now and then, you’re going to miss a throw,” Stocco said. “But it just happened too many times [Saturday].”
Unsatisfying romp, Part I
Playing Division I-AA Youngstown State really was a lose-lose proposition for Penn State. Although the Nittany Lions cruised 37-3, they were booed by the home crowd after failing to score until midway through the second quarter.
And it took a gadget play–freshman speedster A.J. Wallace took a reverse 76 yards–to get Penn State rolling. Quarterback Anthony Morelli finished 11 of 27 for 154 yards.
None of that bodes well for Penn State’s next appointment: Saturday at top-ranked Ohio State.
Still, with Penn State ranked 23rd, that qualifies as the glamor game this week. The only other one between two ranked teams is No. 20 Arizona State at 22nd-ranked Cal. What a bummer after a week with seven of those matchups.
Unsatisfying romp, Part II
Temple is only quasi-Division I, so the lose-lose thing almost applied to Minnesota’s 62-0 beatdown of the Owls.
Gophers coach Glen Mason’s first comment after the game: “I don’t know what to say exactly.”
Defensive end Steve Davis said: “You can’t really judge things on a game like this.”
Judgment comes Saturday, when 2-1 Minnesota travels to 3-0 Purdue. The Gophers beat the Boilermakers last season in a double-overtime thriller.
And finally . . .
The other head-to-head Big Ten matchup not already mentioned is Iowa at Illinois. A Hawkeyes victory sets up a gem the next Saturday, when Ohio State visits Iowa for only the fifth night game at Kinnick Stadium and the first since it was refurbished for $90 million.
Iowa has won 25 of its last 26 home games.
The lone exception? Last year’s 23-20 overtime loss to Michigan.
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tgreenstein@tribune.com
