Michigan 38, Notre Dame 34: Your comprehensive guide to Saturday's coverage

The Michigan football team entered the day hoping to make its rivalry with Notre Dame relevant again. They left the field Saturday having accomplished a whole lot more.

The Wolverines rallied for a thrilling 38-34 victory over the Fighting Irish at Michigan Stadium, one of their most topsy-turvy, emotion-filled wins in recent memory.

Storylines were everywhere, and we had plenty of reporters and photographers there to chronicle the action. Check this entry all night; we'll be updating it as our stories come back from the locker room and press box.Â

STORIES

Our coverage begins tonight with beat reporter Dave Birkett's game story, which notes that the Wolverines are 2-0 for the first time since 2006, and that Rich Rodriguez has a well-documented history of turning programs around in his second year as coach.
The MVP of the game was undoubtedly freshman quarterback Tate Forcier, who had 310 total yards and three touchdowns in his second collegiate game. More than the stats, he showed some moxie under pressure, opines Michael Rothstein.
Last year, after an awful loss against Notre Dame, Rich Rodriguez promised the Michigan program would be back. It's been a bumpy road, but after Saturday's huge upset, consider the mission accomplished, writes Pete Bigelow.
Speaking of dramatic turnarounds, there hasn't been one quite like the one undergone by Wolverines' linebacker Stevie Brown. He was much-maligned as an oft-beaten defensive back last year; now he's wreaking havoc at linebacker.
Report card: Dave Birkett grades the Wolverines on their performance against the Irish. By the looks of it, he's feeling generous tonight.
You're looking for statistics? We've got them. Here's your link to tonight's box score.
After missing the season's first game due to injury, Brandon Minor returned to the lineup Saturday, and had a fierce impact on the Michigan offense. There's clearly an added dimension with him in the lineup beyond his 106 rushing yards. Jeff Arnold has the lowdown on Minor's return.
Notebook: Greg Mathews made a major mistake when he missed a route that led to Forcier's fourth-quarter interception. He felt like he redeemed himself with the winning grab. There's also a review of Michigan's musical selections at the stadium.Â
Off the field, some all-pro quality tailgating took place. James Dickson was out there to survey the parking lot and came back with this dispatch on the best of the best. Oh, and he's got video too.
Here's a collection of notes and tidbits and things overheard before and during Saturday's game, including the reported sighting of a bagpiper playing The Victors beforehand.
The "Fire Millen" chants made their way around Michigan Stadium today, with the former Lions president calling the game for ABC-TV. James Briggs thinks he makes a much better broadcaster than pro talent evaluator.Â
Down the stretch, both Rich Rodriguez and Charlie Weis made decisions that proved pivotal in the game's outcome. Here's how they fared.Â

INTERACTIVE

We spent the afternoon debating Rich Rodriguez's arrival, Forcier's arm strength and the overall status of the Michigan program and more on our live chat during the game. Here's the recap if you missed it, and be sure to join us for the game next week.

PHOTOS

Miss the game or want to re-live it? Staff photographers Lon Horwedel and Melanie Maxwell show the scene of the upset in this week's slideshow.
Darryl Stonum had a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, U-M's first kickoff return for a TD since Steve Breaston in October, 2005. Here's what the view looked like for the Fighting Irish.Â

AROUND THE BIG TEN

USC put together a marathon, 10-minute-or-so final drive to bleed the clock and score the game-winning touchdown with about a minute left, beating Ohio State, 18-15, in a good game in Columbus.
The big upset of the day happened in East Lansing, where Central Michigan took advantage of a second chance -- recovering an onsides kick and stunning the Spartans, 29-27.
Northwestern barely survived an upset bid made by the Ron English-coached Eastern Michigan juggernaut. The Wildcats held on, 27-24, courtesy of a last-minute, 49-yard field goal.Â
It took double overtime, but Wisconsin held on for a win against Fresno State, boosting the Big Ten's record to 5-1 in the early games Saturday.
The best of the rest: the Big Ten Conference has recaps on all the other games today, including a lopsided win for Iowa and Indiana's escape against Western Michigan.