A year after winning the national championship, Michigan wrapped up its first season under Sherrone Moore with a win, setting the stage for a promising future.
Moore took over after Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers last winter. He described the 19-13 victory over Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl as a team effort that points to a bright future for the Wolverines.
“We’ve got a great culture and great kids,” Moore said. “No one person wins a game … no two people. It’s always going to be a team sport.”
Michigan’s defense sacked Jalen Milroe five times and forced three turnovers from the Alabama quarterback. ReliaQuest Bowl MVP Jordan Marshall ran for 100 yards on 23 carries, helping Michigan control the ball for most of the game.
Dominic Zvada kicked four field goals, and Davis Warren threw a touchdown pass to Fredrick Moore in the first half. Michigan (8-5) finished the season with a three-game winning streak, including back-to-back wins over rivals Ohio State and Alabama.
“We were 5-5 and then we won some games, but it’s not the standard,” Marshall said. “We’re going to be better than this next year.”
Alabama’s season ended with a loss to Michigan for the second year in a row. The two teams met in a College Football Playoff semifinal at last year’s Rose Bowl, where Michigan won on their way to the national championship.
This loss marked the end of Alabama’s 16-season streak with double-digit wins. Kalen DeBoer, who took over as Alabama’s head coach after Nick Saban’s retirement, reflected on his first season with the team.
“Every time you’re in the locker room and you have something like this, it’s disappointing. But I think there’s a lot of things that you take from it,” DeBoer said. “So to me, it’s a success if we move forward and we take advantage of the lessons (learned this season), even though we don’t want to learn those lessons sometimes, because they’re hard.”
Milroe shook off a tough first quarter, where Alabama spent most of the time in their own territory due to heavy rain. Despite a late chance to win, Alabama’s drive stalled on a turnover on downs at Michigan’s 15-yard line.
Milroe lost two fumbles and threw an interception during Alabama’s first four drives. The fourth possession ended in an 11-yard sack on a fourth-and-4 play.
Michigan took advantage of these mistakes and scored 16 points, including a touchdown pass from Warren to Moore and field goals of 45, 30, and 21 yards, giving them a 16-0 lead.
Milroe later connected with Robbie Ouzts for a 25-yard TD, then ran for 41 yards and threw a 40-yard pass to Germie Bernard, setting up a 24-yard field goal by Graham Nicholson right before halftime.
Michigan’s defense kept their slim lead intact until Zvada’s 37-yard field goal made it 19-10 in the fourth quarter. Alabama responded with a 51-yard field goal from Nicholson, narrowing the gap to 19-13 with 4:38 left.
Milroe finished 16 of 32 passing for 192 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Warren was 9 of 12 for 73 yards before limping off the field after being sacked early in the third quarter. Alex Orji took over at quarterback for Michigan.
