It rained all afternoon and then it rained all night, and it's a shame for Michigan it hasn't been raining all year. Maybe its offense would have slipped into gear sooner.
Constrained to the ground Saturday night against Notre Dame, the Wolverines put forth their best game of the season. The offensive line paved the lanes it was supposed to entering the year. Hassan Haskins, Zach Charbonnet and Tru Wilson churned up yards in chunks. And Shea Patterson used his legs when he needed to, before striking with his arm to put the game away.
Michigan ran the ball 57 times, second most of the Jim Harbaugh era, and threw it just 14. The result was 437 yards of offense and a 45-14 win. In a season where 'speed and space' has been the aim under Josh Gattis, this was a throwback to the Harbaugh teams who jammed it down your throat.
Center Cesar Ruiz liked the offense's familiar feel.
"I think it’s good," he said. "We’re bringing back some stuff that worked last year, watching previous games. It’s important to bring that back and do what worked, instead of trying everything else."
It's been a mixed bag on offense in Gattis' first season, in terms of both plays and results. The passing attack that was expected to be so lethal has only shown flashes. The ground game that was once so produtive has been mostly inefficient. In trying to rebuild its offense, Michigan went from excelling at one thing to excelling at nothing.
Then came the rain.
"We knew what kind of game it was going to be," said guard Michael Onwenu. "We knew we were going to be grounding and pounding a lot, and it’s the game we’ve been waiting for. We love running the ball, and today we were able to showcase it."
In a crucial game for Harbaugh and Michigan, a game they really needed to have, they went back to what they trust. The game plan called for a number of run plays to the edge early on, a few of which went for big gains. When Notre Dame countered that, the Wolverines were ready.
"They made some adjustments and kind of shut that down for a couple plays, and we came back to the inside run and the trap and hit that again. It was good, the protection -- that’s a really good defensive line with excellent pass rushers. Just felt like for four quarters the offense was clicking and really hitting their stride," Harbaugh said.
And on a wet night, the Wolverines were responsible with the football.
"Probably the toughest time to have ball security. You really have to be focused in contact situations on wrapping it up, squeezing it tight," said Harbaugh. "Our guys did a great job of that and still were breaking tackles. That’s as good as it gets."
No, Michigan is not going to abandon its new offense. The team worked all offseason to install it, and it's probably still the key to success down the road. But the offense as a group has been missing a certain attitude this season, an attitude that puts a defense on its heels. The Wolverines didn't find their identity Saturday night, so much as rediscover it.
"It felt good to impose our will," said Onwenu.
They didn't arrive, so much as return.
Now -- do they stick around?