(Photo by Nancy DeLander Beecher)
TAMPA (Florida Sports Wire) – Michigan Wolverines (8-5, 5-4 Big Ten) took the ReliantQuest Bowl title Tuesday over the SEC’s Alabama Crimson Tide (9-4, 5-3 SEC) 19-13.
Bowl MVP and Michigan running back Jordan Marshall ran for 104 yards on 32 carries.
Alabama kicker Graham Nicholson’s 51-yard field goal with 4:38 to play made it a six-point game. The Crimson Tide drove to the Michigan 15 in the final minute of the game by failed to score on four downs.
The Wolverines extended their lead with 7:21 to play on Dominic Zvada’s fourth field goal of the game. This one from 37-yards.
Michigan Quarterback Davis Warren left the game in the third quarter with an apparent leg injury. Warren was 9 of 12 passing for 73 yards and a TD.
Michigan took a 16-10 lead over Alabama going into halftime.
Alabama cut into the Michigan 16-point lead with a TD of their own with 4:16 to play in the second quarter. QB Jalen Milroe threw a 15-yard scoring pass to Robbie Ouzts.
Milroe was 16 of 32 passing for 192 yards and one interception.
They added a field goal by Nicholson with four seconds remaining.
Three turnovers and three field goals allowed the Wolverines to opened up a 16-0 first quarter lead over the Crimson Tide. 13 points came off the turnovers.
Warren connected on a 13-yard TD pass to Fredrick Moore. Zvada connected on field goals of 40, 30 and 21 yards.
The Wolverines were making their Big Ten-leading seventh appearance in the ReliaQuest Bowl, previously known as the Outback Bowl and Hall of Fame Bowl.
BOWL NOTES
Alabama linebacker Que Robinson may not have played in the Crimson Tide’s bowl game, but he is still making an impact on the team, based on Monday’s recognition.
After a joint press conference for Kalen DeBoer and Michigan’s Sherrone Moore, Robinson and Max Bredeson of UM received the “Make It Possible” player awards from ReliaQuest CEO Brian Murphy. The inaugural honor was voted on by players from both bowl teams.