ANN ARBOR, MICH. – The Michigan defense was on a roll, especially against the run. Notre Dame rushed for only 54 yards against the Wolverines, Miami (Ohio) just 33 and Utah 81.
So what did the Gophers do from the outset Saturday?
They ran right at Michigan with David Cobb, which eventually opened up their passing game for Mitch Leidner.
Cobb had 19 carries for 111 yards by halftime. By game's end he had 183 yards on 32 carries and added three receptions for 50 yards.
"It feels good, not just for me, but the fans who came out and supported us, and for the guys who were part of that 58-0 loss [at Michigan in 2011]," Cobb said.
As a freshman in 2011, Cobb played in just three games, and the Gophers gave him only 10 carries. Eight of them came in the blowout loss to Michigan, and he finished with 54 yards.
He saw even less playing time as a sophomore, getting one carry all season before emerging as the team's go-to tailback last year with 1,202 yards.
Entering Saturday, Cobb was the Big Ten's fourth-leading rusher behind Indiana's Tevin Coleman, Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon.
Through five games, Cobb now has 124 carries for 722 yards.
"I mean, the guy's playing right now," coach Jerry Kill said. "Somebody said, 'Boy, you're giving the ball to him a lot.' And I said, 'Well, you've got a good horse, you ride him.' That's what I was taught by my daddy a long time ago, so we rode him today."
Botticelli wreaks havoc
Senior defensive tackle Cameron Botticelli finished with two tackles for a loss, including a sack of Devin Gardner in the fourth quarter. It was Botticelli's second sack of the year, which doubled his total from last season.
Botticelli was a redshirt freshman in 2011, for the 58-0 loss at Michigan. He sensed a difference on the team bus to the stadium.
"I'd say we were loose," he said. "A couple jokes were cracked on the way over. When it's dead silent and you can hear a pin drop, that's not a great sign.
"Going out onto the field for pregame warm-up, it was a completely different feeling this year. There was no, 'Oh my goodness, this is the big time.' It was, 'We prepared, we know what we can do, and we're going to go show the world what we can do.' And we did."
Wells injures hamstring
Senior cornerback Derrick Wells injured his left hamstring in the first quarter and didn't return. But the Gophers got strong play from their other cornerbacks, as Briean Boddy-Calhoun finished with two pass breakups, and Jalen Myrick had one.
"We've got some depth in that area, and it paid off today," Kill said.
Etc.
• After missing last week's game because of a calf injury, tight end Maxx Williams returned to make four catches, including a beautiful one-hander near the sideline, for 51 yards and a touchdown.
• Defensive end Alex Keith returned for the first time since injuring a knee in the season-opener.
• Left guard Zac Epping made his 39th consecutive start, despite a high ankle sprain. He limped off at one point but returned to the game.
