Irish Stun Michigan

Notre Dame football woke up the echoes Saturday afternoon with a surprise upset against the top-ranked Michigan Wolverines in South Bend, Indiana.

The victory could not have come at a better time for Notre Dame coach Ty Willingham, who has been the target of much criticism while losing 10 of 15 since his miraculous 8-0 start in 2002, according to an AP article on ESPN.com. Now there is new hope for Irish fans after a third straight win over Michigan in South Bend.

There is also a new hope in the form of Notre Dame's new star freshman running back, Darius Walker. Walker, who did not even play a week ago in a devastating loss to Brigham Young, ran for 115 yards on 31 carries and two fourth-quarter touchdowns. He is the first freshman to run for 100 yards since Julius Jones mounted 146 yards against Navy in 1999.

"I didn't even know who that was running the ball," Michigan cornerback Marlin Jackson said. "He's a good player and he had a good game."

Notre Dame got its first victory over a top-ten team since defeating Michigan 25-23 two years ago in South Bend. Since then Notre Dame was 0-4 against top-ten teams, losing by a total 164-27.

The win also allowed Notre Dame to reclaim its title of winningest college football program, hurdling the Irish over Michigan for the best all-time winning percentage. The Wolverines moved past Notre Dame a week earlier with a victory over Miami of Ohio.

Notre Dame plays Michigan State next Saturday in another highly-contested rivalry. For now, Irish eyes are smiling.