If the Wolverines had serious designs on winning the national championship, they were dashed in last week's loss to Notre Dame.

If Brady Quinn had come to Michigan Stadium and thrown the ball over the place and the Irish had outscored the Wolverines, that might have been an understandable explanation of the upset. But Michigan's defense held up well after giving up a touchdown on the opening drive of the game.

Instead it was Michigan's high-powered offense that was held in check by the Irish. In particular, QB Chad Henne struggled badly for the first time in two years.

Henne completed 19-of-44 passes for 223 yards with one TD and one interception. Henne normally will go through his progressions before making a decision and getting rid of the ball. But against the Irish, he seemed to lock on to his primary receiver and force the ball no matter what the coverage was like.

Henne was without TE Tim Massaquoi (broken arm) and RB Mike Hart (hamstring) went out of the Notre Dame game early. As a result, Henne did not have his security blankets.

"That's very, very unlike him," Carr said. "But he's a sophomore. I think we're all surprised. I was surprised. And yet, I shouldn't be. He's a young kid.

"We are a different football team without Michael Hart in there. Michael Hart's really special, so Chad had some people in different positions in there. He didn't have Massaquoi. There's an inexperience factor that impacted him. He made some great plays. He'll settle down, and he'll learn from this."

The loss leaves the Wolverines in a foul mood and they will probably take their anger out on Eastern Michigan this week. Michigan is 9-0 against MAC teams since Carr became head coach and they have outscored them by a 364-126 margin. The Wolverines have scored at least 30 points in each of those games.

After this final non-conference game, the competition turns serious as Michigan begins Big Ten play with a Sept. 24 game at Wisconsin.

Michigan is 4-9 against Ohio State, Notre Dame, Iowa and in bowl games going back to the 2002 season. It is 26-1 against other opponents in that timeframe.

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: Chad Henne is coming off a disappointing game against Notre Dame. He locked on to receivers and completed just 19-of-44 passes. He needs to settle down, become more patient and read his progressions. Mike Hart pulled a hamstring vs. Notre Dame and was replace by Kevin Grady. If Hart can't go -- he's listed as doubtful -- Grady will get another opportunity after running for 79 yards against the Irish.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: Lost in the defeat to Notre Dame was the improved play of the defense. Michigan gave up just 244 yards and held the Notre Dame ground game in check with 104 yards on 44 attempts. The Wolverines have recovered five fumbles in the first two games and that leads the nation.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm certainly, during the course of a week, not always going to tell you about injuries because that puts our team at a disadvantage. I hope you understand that because if you don't, you should. Because, when a team knows ahead of time who's not going to play, that helps them." -- Head coach Lloyd Carr on why he tends to keep injury information hidden.

THIS WEEK'S GAME: vs. Eastern Michigan, Sept. 17 -- It's time to correct mistakes. After the offense struggled against Notre Dame, look for Michigan to punish the Eagles. Michigan has rolled to a 9-0 record vs. MAC teams in the Lloyd Carr era. Chad Henne needs to rebound after struggling against the Irish.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: WR Jason Avant -- He continues to be the top receiving option in the game plan. Avant caught five passes for 90 yards vs. Notre Dame and needs 43 receiving yards to reach the 1,500-yard mark for his career.

CB Grant Mason -- He was a dominant figure against Notre Dame with 16 tackles and a pass defensed. Mason also returned two kickoffs for 42 yards.

RB Kevin Grady -- He seems to be an adequate replacement if Mike Hart (hamstring) can't play or is limited. Grady has run for 121 yards in two games and has scored one touchdown. He has fine instincts and decent speed.

QB Chad Henne -- He looked uncomfortable against Notre Dame. If Henne can get back to being calm and collected in the pocket he should rebound with a big game vs. Eastern Michigan.

WR Steve Breaston -- He's supposed to be the Wolverines' big-play specialist, but Breaston has caught just three passes for 24 yards in the first two games. He needs to break loose against Eastern Michigan to recapture the confidence of the coaching staff.

ROSTER REPORT: Offensive lineman Mike Kolodziej (undisclosed) and defensive back Ryan Mundy (shoulder) are expected to be out against Eastern Michigan. Running back Mike Hart (hamstring) is doubtful. Defensive lineman Tim Jamison (arm) is questionable. Tight end Tim Massaquoi (arm), wide receiver Adrian Arrington (ankle) and offensive lineman Jake Long (ankle) are sidelined indefinitely. Offensive lineman Grant DeBenedictis (knee) is expected to miss the entire season.