Michigan threw more of a Citrus Bowl scare into Alabama than some expected. But the Crimson Tide threw a second-half shutout, submerging the Wolverines, 35-16.
Jim Harbaugh’s crew led 16-14 at the half and actually appeared the better team at times. The stunner of a scenario ended after 30 minutes, leaving U-M 9-4 on the season with losses to four teams ranked in the top 15.
Bama stood one quarterback injury away from the College Football Playoff, but Mac Jones — subbing for injured standout Tua Tagovailoa — didn’t exactly hurt his crew.
Jones delivered 327 yards and three touchdowns through the air in a 16-of-25 passing performance, without an interception. Michigan senior QB Shea Patterson couldn’t keep up with the Joneses, going 17 of 37 for 233 yards with one touchdown and a critical pickoff late in the game.
Freshman tailback Zach Charbonnet (13 carries for 84 yards) and redshirt freshman tailback Hassan Haskins (18 attempts for 61 yards) teamed for 145 yards, helping the Wolverines’ ground game top that of the Crimson Tide (162-153). But when Bama went bombs away — especially to All-American wideout Jerry Jeudy — the Wolverines had no answer.
Jeudy enjoyed a career day — six catches for 204 yards and a touchdown. He exploded early and late, lifting the Crimson Tide (11-2) to the win.
“It's an impressive group,” Harbaugh said. “Yeah, I would have to say that is as impressive group as you're going to ever see. They're fast, but they also made the contested catches, made some great catches, ran some tremendous routes and they were able to get behind us two or three times.”
While the Wolverines put three field goals on the board, along with an early touchdown, the Tide kept washing into the end zone. Alabama put up 480 yards on offense to Michigan’s 395, but kept on finding pay dirt, triggering the decisive 21-0 second half.
“It was a very competitive game through the half, into the fourth quarter, until, really, until about six minutes left in the game,” Harbaugh said. “Their ability to create the big play was critical in the game and their ability to keep us out of the end zone and through the drives. We had long drives and settled for field goals.
“At the end, stopping us when we had a chance out on the interception and then came back and drove the length of the field for 80 yards or so. You know, that was a huge difference in the game.”
Alabama wasted no time serving notice offensively. Following Michigan’s three-and-out from midfield on the game’s first possession, Jones punched U-M in the nose on the Bama’s very first snap.
He unloaded an 85-yard bomb to Jeudy, in stride behind the Wolverines’ defense. With 1:13 ticked off the clock, Harbaugh’s crew found itself fighting from behind.
The Wolverines answered later in the quarter, going 85 yards for a touchdown and taking seven plays to get it done. Several big Charbonnet runs got them going, and a flea-flicker toss from Patterson to junior wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones for 34 yards put U-M into the red zone.
Patterson then floated a play-action toss to redshirt junior tight end Nick Eubanks for a seven-yard, game-tying touchdown. With 7:06 left in the opening quarter, the Wolverines fashioned a 7-7 deadlock.
Running the football with stunning effectiveness, U-M then dug out from its own 1-yard line, taking it all the way down to the Alabama 20. A pair of 11-yard runs by Charbonnet and a 40-yard toss to freshman wide receiver Giles Jackson (four catches for 57 yards) set up redshirt junior placekicker Quinn Nordin’s 36-yard field goal.
Suddenly Michigan — a significant underdog — moved on top 10-7 with nine seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
Nordin tacked on a 42-yarder with 7:16 left in the half, following a 13-play, 56-yard Michigan drive. U-M continued to pound the ball on the ground, Patterson mixing in a clutch 22-yard toss to sophomore wideout Ronnie Bell (four catches for 53 yards).
Bell spun out of a tackle to move the chains, after a holding call put the drive in jeopardy.
Alabama’s next drive looked over at the Michigan 31, Jones’ incomplete pass appearing to force a 48-yard field goal attempt. But officials flagged sophomore defensive end Aidan Hutchinson for roughing the passer after he drove Jones into the turf late.
Given a second chance, the Crimson Tide finished off the eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on a nine-yard TD bolt by running back Najee Harris. Instead of maintaining a tenuous lead, the Wolverines fell behind 14-13 with 3:32 left in the half.
Nordin wasn’t done, however. After Michigan appeared to play itself out of field goal range, the kicker hammered a perfect 57-yard bomb as the clock ran out.
“It was a tremendous kick,” Harbaugh said. “He had been kicking the ball really well leading up to the game, hit three from that same spot in pregame and got a great snap and a great hold and had real good spin on the ball. He hit it perfect.”
Up 16-14 at the half, the Wolverines looked ready to serve up a New Year’s shocker.
Alabama then started the second half the way it did the first. On the Crimson Tide’s third snap after intermission, Jones unleashed a 42-yard touchdown bomb to wideout DeVonta Smith.
It took the Tide all of 1:30 to wash back over the Wolverines, grabbing a 21-16 lead.
“They made some really big plays, made some really good plays, some outstanding catches and throws,” Harbaugh noted.
Neither team scored again in the third quarter, and Michigan’s prime opportunity early in the fourth exploded when Patterson fumbled and Charbonnet pounced on it for a 10-yard loss. Alabama then reminded everyone of its quick-strike ability.
Facing third-and-11 at his own 8-yard line, Jones put the Crimson Tide into the end zone on three plays. He hit Jeudy on the sideline for 14, found him on a crossing route for 58, then fired a 20-yard toss to wide-open tight end Miller Forristall.
Three snaps, 92 yards and a 28-16 lead with 10:01 remaining put Alabama in the driver’s seat.
Michigan then drove off the road.
Set up at their own 48, the Wolverines still enjoyed seven minutes to scramble back. But on the first play of what could have been a crucial drive, Patterson floated an easy sideline pickoff to Bama defensive back Shyheim Carter.
Patterson expected Eubanks to break outside, but the tight end maneuvered in and up. When the senior quarterback looped one to the sideline stripe, Carter might as well have been fair catching a punt.
The Crimson Tide turned the back-breaking turnover into a run-heavy, clock-draining drive. It ended in a two-yard Harris touchdown plunge, finishing off a 75-yard drive — and the Wolverines.
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