ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Even when things went right for Notre Dame at Michigan on Saturday, they went wrong in a 45-14 loss. When the No. 8 Irish blocked a punt, it gave the No. 19 Wolverines a first down. When their defense stopped Michigan for six consecutive drives, giving up only 26 yards on 21 plays, the offense did nothing with the opportunities, gaining 11 yards on 13 plays. When the coaching staff turned to sophomore quarterback Phil Jurkovec for a spark, he stumbled untouched for a 12-yard loss on his first snap.
No single number can entirely encapsulate how poor Notre Dame’s showing was, but nearly any stat illustrates how ineffectual its offense was.