Michigan football beats Alabama 19-13 to win the ReliaQuest Bowl

TAMPA, Fla. – As the skies opened and the deluge of rain began Tuesday afternoon, Alabama sidelines stood and stared as players on the Michigan football bench waved towels, jumped up and down and almost formed a mosh pit.

The water seemed to feed the wolverines as it drenched the flood. UM forced three turnovers during the rain in the first quarter and used it to set up short fields, take an early lead and ultimately end 2024 the way it began: with a postseason victory over Alabama, this time 19- 13 in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.

Michigan (8-5) became the first program in history to beat Alabama twice in a calendar year.

“A lot of people doubted that we would be going into this game and into next season,” Derrick Moore told the Free Press as he left the field. “We just told the world, no matter who we have, at the end of the day we’re always dogs.”

Alabama (9-4) started its final drive from its own 44, following a 38-yard punt return by 17-year-old freshman sensation Ryan Williams just before the two-minute warning.

The Tide reached the Wolverines’ 15, but defensive coordinator Wink Martindale launched blitz after blitz against Jalen Milroe, and on fourth-and-10 with 56 seconds left, the final pass landed harmlessly on the turf. They fired Milroe five times.

“Also think about the fourth down stops, and that’s six turnovers,” Martindale told the Free Press at midfield after the game. “These kids are outstanding.”

As Martindale basked in the afterglow of a second straight win and held a top-15 offense to 13 or fewer points, players and coaches got involved.

“If you keep playing like that, man,” laughed linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary. “This guy is a big deal.”

“Worth every penny,” added sixth-year safety Quinten Johnson, who, according to Martindale, “ran the whole show” in the final game of the season.

Freshman running back Jordan Marshall rushed for 100 yards on 23 carries and was named the game’s MVP in his first start for the Wolverines, giving coach Sherrone Moore two straight upset wins over Ohio State and Alabama.

Michigan quarterback Davis Warren left in the third quarter with a knee injury and was seen on crutches in the fourth quarter. He was replaced by backup Alex Orji, who placed his name in the transfer portal a few weeks ago.

The other option would have been four-star true freshman Jadyn Davis, who was once thought to be the future of the position at Michigan before Bryce Underwood was signed as the top pick of the 2025 recruiting class.

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Michigan continues to build momentum in the ReliaQuest Bowl

While many felt the play didn’t matter much, it’s hard not to feel like it gave the Wolverines ultimate momentum heading into the offseason.

Less than 50 days ago, UM felt like a floundering 5-5 program. Now, not only did Michigan match its lowest win total of the Jim Harbaugh years (not counting the shortened 2020 season), but it also finished the final six weeks of the year with a 44-point win, an all-time rival win over OSU. a bowl victory over the Tide and secured the No. 1 team in the nation in Underwood.

The offensive numbers were once again unimpressive, but they weren’t about to take the situation into account.

UM played without its four most talented players, running backs Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, receivers Colston Loveland and Tyler Morris, and left tackle Myles Hinton. UM was conservative and spread the ball around while managing 190 total yards of offense and 13 first downs.

Six players had carries and six caught at least one pass, while Warren completed nine of 12 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown before his injury. But it was once again Martindale’s defense, phenomenal against Ohio State, that played the leading role in the win.

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Michigan’s defense sets the tone

The Tide crossed midfield on their first drive and faced fourth-and-4 at UM’s 45 when 2025 projected starting edges TJ Guy and Derrick Moore collapsed the pocket and hit the quarterback for the sack to force a turnover on downs.

That put UM in Tide territory and just moments later Dominic Zvada scored the game’s first field goal. Then it started raining and on the ensuing Alabama game, Milroe parried the snap and Moore fell on it to give UM the lead at the Tide’s 19. Zvada’s field goal made it 6-0.

“It doesn’t matter who plays in the game, it’s just important.” How “We play the game,” Marshall said. “I took the full step like ‘let’s come out here and punch someone in the mouth.’ That’s just how we play football.”

Alabama then had the ball for two plays before Milroe forced a pass to the left side that Wesley Walker tipped and intercepted. After two short runs, on third-and-7, Warren found Fred Moore on a fade route for his first career touchdown, taking a 13-0 lead less than 11 minutes into the game.

On Alabama’s fourth possession, Milroe fell behind when edge rusher Cam Brandt came around his blind side, strip-sacked and grabbed the ball, which he returned to Alabama’s 6. But it was crowded again and a field goal with 2:04 left in the first quarter gave the Wolverines a 16-0 lead.

“That was great,” senior captain Max Bredeson said. “It didn’t even feel like a real thing, we just kept getting the ball back. That was huge for them, especially given the climatic conditions at the beginning and the weather.”

On six drives, Alabama had three turnovers, one turnover on downs and two total yards.

Big plays start to fall apart

Realistically, UM wouldn’t be able to keep the tide low all day if it played without Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Josaiah Stewart, Will Johnson and Makari Paige. On the seventh drive, Alabama used a 28-yard reverse and a 15-yard pass to move deep into UM territory before a failed coverage allowed Milroe to find Robbie Ouzts for a 25-yard touchdown and UM’s lead to shorten to 16-7.

It looked like it was going to be at halftime when Hudson Hollenbeck pinned Alabama inside its 5-point line with a punt in the final minute, but UM strangely elected to call a timeout after forcing third-and-1, to try and get the ball back for their attack.

Instead of getting the stop, Milroe knocked off a 41-yard sprinter and then found Germie Bernard on a 40-yard pass to get inside the Michigan 10 before the Wolverines forced a field goal to make it 16-10 went to the locker room.

Hold on tight

Michigan’s margin for error immediately shrunk in the second half when Warren was sidelined with an injury and Orji was substituted. It was clear the Wolverines weren’t going to pass the ball — Orji went 2 of 3 for 2 yards and threw a pick on UM’s final play of the third quarter — and they would need the defense to make plays.

On Alabama’s first drive of the half, sophomore Brandyn Hillman darted into the backfield for a sack, then on the next drive Ike Iwunnah dropped Milroe for the fifth sack to force a punt.

With 12:44 left in the fourth, Alabama went for a fourth-and-7 instead of attempting a 51-yard field goal at the UM 34. Milroe hit Kobe Prentice on the left sideline, but his foot came out of bounds and it led to the Tide’s second turnover on downs.

From there, Marshall made his longest rush of his career – a 24-yarder to the cross to midfield – which set up Zvada’s fourth field goal from 38 yards, giving UM a 19-10 lead with 7:21 to play.

“Finish the season the right way,” Bredeson said. “It’s instilled in us that the day you get there, it doesn’t matter what situation you’re in, you have to go. Some things happened in the long run, we lost games, but that’s what we’re built on.” .

“Whenever it’s time to put it on, do it.”

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

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For openers: Lobos

Matchup: Michigan (8-5 in 2024) vs. New Mexico (5-7 in 2024), regular season opener.

Start: Time to be announced, August 30th.

Where: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor.

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Michigan football beats Alabama 19-13 to win the ReliaQuest Bowl

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