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GAME NOTES: In the Top 25 for the first time under head coach Rich Rodriguez, the 25th-ranked Michigan Wolverines continue their season-opening four-game homestand this weekend, as they host the Eastern Michigan Eagles in Ann Arbor.

The Wolverines are coming off arguably their biggest and most important win under second-year coach Rodriguez, as they knocked off then nationally-ranked Notre Dame, 38-34, in the closing moments this past weekend.

"It was a great ballgame," said Rodriguez. "Some big time plays by both teams. I'm glad we came out on top."

It was a thrilling finish and a nice follow up to a 31-7 season opening win over Western Michigan. The maize and blue are now ranked for the first time under Rodriguez, whose first season at the helm of the Michigan program was a disaster after losing a school-record nine games in 2008.

Rodriguez, who had turmoil surrounding him at the start of the season, now has this once elite program back on track and the Wolverines could easily be 4-0 after their homestand which concludes against Indiana next weekend. It would be quite an accomplishment to start 4-0 at home considering Michigan went only 2-5 in Ann Arbor a season ago on its way to just three total wins.

As for EMU, it is still in search of a win under first-year coach Ron English, losing both its games thus far. The team kicked off the 2009 campaign with a 27-14 home loss to Army before hitting the road and falling 27-24, at Northwestern this past weekend.

"Learning how to win is a process," said English, who was one of several coaches Rodriguez elected not to keep when Lloyd Carr retired after the 2007 season. "Our guys have to learn how to win on every play and they're continuing to learn."

English was the defensive coordinator at Michigan last time the program was ranked following a win over Florida in the 2008 Capital One Bowl, and he will now try to help EMU snap a 26-game losing streak to the Big Ten Conference.

The Eagles have clearly struggled against the Big Ten and they have had no success versus Michigan, dropping all eight meetings between the programs. All eight clashes took place in Ann Arbor, including a 33-22 triumph in the most recent encounter in 2007.

EMU showed resiliency last weekend and used three touchdowns in the second half, including two in the final quarter, to come from behind and tie Northwestern at 24-24. The effort however, went to waste, as the Wildcats converted on a 49-yard field goal with six seconds left to prevail in a tight one. In the team's opener versus Army, the Eagles scored all 14 of their points in the fourth quarter, so they obviously need to get off to a better start.

Dwayne Priest guided EMU in the setback last weekend with 127 rushing yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He played a big part in the team's 172 rushing yards and Priest also did a nice job in the opener, gaining 83 yards and a score on 19 totes. Quarterback Andy Schmitt was up-and-down last week, converting an efficient 20-of-28 pass attempts, but for just 148 yards with two picks against one touchdown. Schmitt had similar results in the opener when he passed for 183 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Jacory Stone has clearly been his favorite target after two games, totaling 15 catches, 158 receiving yards and a touchdown. He had a big 25-yard touchdown this past weekend and look for him to keep the Michigan defense honest.

Defensively, EMU did a nice job adjusting after the half and holding Northwestern to just six points over the final two quarters. The unit forced three turnovers in the contest, while limiting the Wildcats to just 343 total yards. However, the Eagles have struggled against the run thus far and have allowed 485 yards on the ground, including 185 last weekend. Getting pressure on the quarterback was also an issue for EMU, which failed to record a sack this past week.

Marty Cardwell paced the defense with 12 sacks and a fumble recovery, while Chris May had 10 stops and a forced fumble.

True freshman Tate Forcier showed the nation what he is all about last weekend, as he engineered a nine-play, 57-yard drive which he capped off with a touchdown pass to Greg Mathews with 11 seconds left for a dramatic 38-34 victory over Notre Dame.

"I've really seen it the last four weeks; it's all really since he's been here," said Rodriguez about Forcier's poise on the last drive. "He's kind of a unique individual. Everything around him may be going crazy, and yet he's still calm in the middle of the storm."

Forcier, who was only the third true freshman to start an opener for Michigan, finished the game 23-of-33 for 240 yards, with two touchdowns and one pick. He also proved deadly with his legs, rushing for 70 yards and another score on 13 carries. It was clearly a big time effort from the talented rookie, who threw for 179 yards and three touchdowns in an opening win over WMU.

Mathews led the wideouts with five receptions for 68 yards and the decisive touchdown, while tight end Kevin Koger also reeled in a touchdown pass for the second straight game. The two stepped up nicely in the absence of Junior Hemingway, who missed last game with a sprained ankle. Hemingway broke through with a 103-yard and two-touchdown effort in the opener, but is listed as questionable for this weekend.

Tailback Brandon Minor returned from injury last weekend and had a successful 2009 debut with 106 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. He gives Michigan stability in a backfield that has some nice options.

Following a stout performance in the team's opener, Michigan's defense was exploited by Notre Dame, allowing 490 yards of total offense after giving up just 301 to WMU the prior week. The defense recorded only one turnover and had no sacks, while surrendering 336 yards through the air. The Wolverines made some adjustments to slow down Notre Dame in the second half and that allowed their offense to spend more time on the field.

"Two things happened," stated Rodriguez about the defensive play in the second half. "We made some adjustments defensively, and the other thing is that we got our offense on the field."

While the unit certainly played better in the second half, it still allowed two fourth-quarter touchdowns to Notre Dame, which was trailing 31-20 at the time, and that nearly cost them the game. Troy Woolfolk and Mike Williams each had eight stops to lead the charge in the win.

Michigan is coming off a victory that should do wonders for the confidence of the team, and the Wolverines will have no trouble building off that with another win this weekend.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Michigan 37, Eastern Michigan 10