Going up 14-0 with touchdowns on each of its first two possessions should have set up Notre Dame to put away Michigan early on Saturday. It did not, as the Wolverines hung around long enough to make the final two minutes interesting before falling 24-17. Coming out ahead eliminated much, if not all, of the concern about the unnecessarily close contest, but the Irish are still aware they could have had a less stressful night.
“What we learned is that we have to finish off an opponent,” Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said Tuesday. “We had opportunities to put Michigan in a very difficult position, and we did not.