Michigan defense suffocates Alabama for 19-13 upset in 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl: 'That was awesome'

Michigan defense suffocates Alabama for 19-13 upset in 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl: ‘That was awesome’

Posted by author December 31, 2024 Football

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TAMPA, Fla. — As the skies opened and the deluge of rain began Tuesday afternoon, the Alabama sideline stood and stared while those on Michigan football‘s bench waved towels, jumped up and down and all but formed a mosh pit.

The water seemed to nurture the Wolverines while it drenched the Tide. U-M forced three turnovers during the first-quarter rain and used that to set up short fields, get out to an early lead and ultimately hold on to finish 2024 the same way it began: with a postseason win over Alabama, this time 19-13 in the ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.

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

“A lot of people doubted us going into this game and going into next season as well,” Derrick Moore told the Free Press walking off the field. “We just told the world no matter who we got, we always gone be dogs at the end of the day.”

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

The Tide drove to the Wolverines 15, but defensive coordinator Wink Martindale drew up blitz after blitz against Jalen Milroe, and on fourth-and-10 with 56 seconds left, the final pass fell harmlessly to the turf. They sacked Milroe five times.

“Think about the fourth down stops, too, and that’s six turnovers,” Martindale said to the Free Press at midfield postgame. “These kids are outstanding.”

As Martindale basked in the afterglow of a second consecutive victory holding a top-15 offense to 13 points or fewer, players and coaches chimed in.

“If you keep calling plays like that, man,” linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary laughed. “This guy’s kind of a big deal.”

“Worth every penny,” added sixth-year safety Quinten Johnson, who Martindale said “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 game MVP in his first start for the Wolverines, giving coach Sherrone Moore back-to-back 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 a few weeks ago put his name in the transfer portal.

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

Michigan swells further momentum in ReliaQuest Bowl

Though many felt the game didn’t much matter, it’s hard not to feel like it capped the ultimate wave of momentum for the Wolverines as they head into the offseason.

Fewer than 50 days ago, U-M felt like a floundering 5-5 program. Now, Michigan not only matched its win total from the lowest of the Jim Harbaugh years (not counting the shortened 2020 season) but ended the final six weeks of the year with a 44-point win, an all-time rivalry win over OSU, a bowl win over the Tide and secured the nation’s No. 1 prospect in Underwood.

The offensive numbers were again unimpressive, but they weren’t going to be considering the situation.

U-M played without its top four skill players in running backs Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards and receivers Colston Loveland and Tyler Morris, and left tackle Myles Hinton. U-M was conservative and spread the ball around as it managed 190 yards of total offense and 13 first downs.

Six players had carries and six caught at least one pass as Warren completed 9 of 12 passes for 73 yards and one touchdown before injury. But it was again Martindale’s defense, which was phenomenal vs. Ohio State, that played the leading role in the victory.

Michigan defense sets tone

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

That set up U-M in Tide territory and moments later Dominic Zvada kicked the game’s opening field goal. That’s when the rain began to pour and on the ensuing Alabama play, Milroe muffed the snap and Moore fell on it to set U-M up at the Tide 19. Zvada’s field goal made it 6-0.

“It doesn’t matter who’s playing in the game, it just matters how we play the game,” Marshall said. “I took that full stride like ‘we’re going to come out here and hit somebody in the mouth.’ That’s just how we play football.”

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

On Alabama’s fourth possession, Milroe dropped back when edge rusher Cam Brandt came around his blind side, came away with the strip sack and scooped the ball which he returned to Alabama’s 6. It was Michigan’s fourth time in as many possessions starting in Alabama territory, but it again was stuffed and a field goal with 2:04 to go in the first quarter put the Wolverines ahead 16-0.

“That was awesome,” said senior captain Max Bredeson. “It didn’t even feel like a real thing, we just kept getting the ball back. For them to do that was huge, especially in the climate it was in the beginning with the weather.”

Through six drives, Alabama had three turnovers, one turnover on downs and 2 total yards.

Big plays start to pop

Realistically, playing without Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Josaiah Stewart, Will Johnson and Makari Paige, U-M wasn’t going to keep the Tide down all day. On the seventh drive, Alabama used a 28-yard reverse and a 15-yard pass to get deep into U-M territory before a busted coverage allowed Milroe to find Robbie Ouzts for a 25-yard touchdown to cut into U-M’s lead to 16-7.

It looked like that would be the score at half when Hudson Hollenbeck pinned Alabama inside its 5 in the final minute with a punt, but U-M strangely opted to call a timeout after forcing third-and-1 to try and get the ball back for its offense.

Instead of getting the stop, Milroe ripped off a 41-yard scamper, then found Germie Bernard on a 40-yard pass to get inside Michigan’s 10 before the Wolverines forced a field goal and went into the locker room up 16-10.

Hold on tight

Michigan’s margin for error immediately shrunk in the second half when Warren went down for injury and Orji came in for relief. It was clear the Wolverines weren’t going to be able to pass the ball — Orji went 2 of 3 for 2 yards and threw a pick on U-M’s last play of the third quarter — and were going to need the defense to make plays.

On Alabama’s first drive of the half, sophomore Brandyn Hillman shot 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 to go in the fourth, Alabama went for it on fourth-and-7 instead of trying a 51-yard field goal at the U-M 34. Milroe hit Kobe Prentice on the left sideline, but his foot came down out of bounds and it resulted in the Tide’s second turnover on downs.

From there, Marshall ripped off his longest rush of his career — a 24-yarder to cross midfield — which set up Zvada’s fourth field goal, this from 38 yards out, to put U-M up 19-10 with 7:21 to play.

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

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

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

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