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Michigan
to Face
No. 11
Alabama
in
ReliaQuest
Bowl on
New
Years
Eve
By: Dave
Ablauf,
Chad
Shepard
6–7
minutes
TAMPA,
Fla. -
The
University
of
Michigan
football
team
will
head
south
during
the
holiday
season
and face
11th-ranked
Alabama
in the
ReliaQuest
Bowl on
Tuesday,
Dec. 31,
2024.
The
Wolverines
will be
making
their
Big
Ten-leading
seventh
appearance
in the
ReliaQuest
Bowl,
previously
known as
the
Outback
Bowl and
Hall of
Fame
Bowl.
The
ReliaQuest
Bowl is
held at
Raymond
James
Stadium
in
Tampa,
Fla.,
home of
the
NFL's
Tampa
Bay
Buccaneers.
The
matchup
pitting
the
Wolverines
(7-5,
5-4 Big
Ten)
against
the
SEC's
Alabama
Crimson
Tide
(9-3,
5-3 SEC)
will
kick off
at noon.
The game
will be
televised
nationally
by ESPN.
"We are
excited
and
honored
to
represent
the
University
of
Michigan
and the
Big Ten
Conference
in the
ReliaQuest
Bowl in
Tampa,"
said
Sherrone
Moore,
U-M's J.
Ira and
Nicki
Harris
Family
Head
Football
Coach.
"This is
a great
opportunity
for our
team to
finish
the
season
against
an
outstanding
SEC
opponent
in
Alabama.
We look
forward
to
competing
against
Coach
Kalen
DeBoer
and his
highly
ranked
Crimson
Tide."
"The
ReliaQuest
Bowl
staff
has a
strong
reputation
for
running
an
outstanding
bowl
game and
game day
experience
for the
student-athletes,
coaches
and
fans,"
said
Warde
Manuel,
U-M's
Donald
R.
Shepherd
Director
of
Athletics.
"Michigan
appreciates
and
accepts
the
invitation
by
Chairman
Greg
Orchard,
President
& CEO
Jim
McVay
and the
bowl
staff to
experience
the
Tampa
area
during
the
holiday
season."
Michigan
finished
the 2024
regular
season
on a
two-game
winning
streak
after
defeating
No. 2
Ohio
State,
13-10,
in
Columbus,
which
followed
a 50-6
win over
Northwestern
at
Michigan
Stadium.
The
Wolverines
boast
one of
the
nation's
top
defenses,
ranking
third in
rushing
defense
(92.6
avg.),
15th in
total
defense
(310.9
avg.)
and 25th
in
scoring
defense
(20.5
avg.).
Linebackers
Ernest
Hausmann
(82
tackles,
7 TFLs)
and
Jaishawn
Barham
(65
tackles,
3.5
TFLs)
led the
defense
in
tackles.
Edge
Josaiah
Stewart
paced
the
Wolverines
in
tackles
for loss
(13) and
sacks
(8.5),
ranking
16th
nationally
in stops
behind
the line
of
scrimmage.
The
Maize
and Blue
were led
offensively
by a
ground
game
that
gained
1,928
yards
and
averaged
160.7
yards
per
contest.
The
tandem
of Kalel
Mullings
and
Donovan
Edwards
helped
the
offense
rush for
more
than 150
yards in
six
contests
as the
unit had
17
rushing
plays
over 20
yards on
the
season.
Quarterback
Davis
Warren
started
eight
games,
completing
125-of-197
passes
(63.5%)
for
1,126
yards
and six
TDs. The
offense
ranked
23rd
nationally
in
fewest
sacks
allowed
(1.25
avg.)
including
just two
over the
final
five
contests
of the
regular
season.
U-M had
16
players
earn
All-Big
Ten
honors
in some
capacity
including
nine
Wolverines
who
received
1st, 2nd
or 3rd
team
accolades.
The
group
was led
by
kicker
Dominic
Zvada, a
first-team
all-conference
performer
and the
Bakken-Andersen
Big Ten
Kicker
of the
Year.
The
Wolverines
have
three
players
who are
finalists
for
individual
national
awards:
defensive
tackle
Mason
Graham
(Nagurski
and
Outland),
tight
end
Colston
Loveland
(Mackey)
and long
snapper
William
Wagner
(Mannelly).
This
will be
the
sixth
meeting
between
Michigan
and
Alabama
during
the bowl
season,
with U-M
holding
a 3-2
series
advantage.
The most
recent
meeting
came in
last
year's
College
Football
Playoff
Semifinal
at the
Rose
Bowl, a
27-20
victory
by the
Wolverines
in
overtime.
Michigan
claimed
victories
in the
1988
Hall of
Fame
Bowl
(28-24),
2000
Orange
Bowl
(35-34,
1 OT)
and 2024
Rose
Bowl
while
Alabama
earned
wins in
the 1997
Outback
Bowl
(17-14)
and 2020
Citrus
Bowl
(35-16).
The only
regular-season
matchup
between
the two
programs
came in
the 2012
season
opener
at
Cowboys
Stadium,
a 41-14
victory
for
Alabama.
This
will be
the
seventh
overall
meeting
with the
Crimson
Tide,
with the
series
tied at
three
wins
apiece.
The
Wolverines
have
compiled
a 3-3
mark
all-time
in the
ReliaQuest
Bowl/Outback
Bowl/Hall
of Fame
Bowl,
with
appearances
in the
1988,
1994,
1997,
2003,
2013 and
2018
games.
U-M
claimed
victories
against
Alabama
(1988),
North
Carolina
State
(1994)
and
Florida
(2003)
and
suffered
setbacks
to
Alabama
(1997)
and
South
Carolina
(2013,
2018).
This is
the 20th
time
that the
Wolverines
have
played a
bowl
game in
the
state of
Florida
(9-10
record).
Ticket
Information
Donors
and
football
season
ticket
holders
who
ordered
bowl
tickets
during
the
priority
request
period
will
receive
confirmation
of their
order
via
e-mail
on
Sunday,
Dec. 8.
Tickets
for the
ReliaQuest
Bowl
will be
made
available
to the
general
public
on
Monday,
Dec. 9,
at 9
a.m. by
visiting
MGoBlue.com/Tickets.
ReliaQuest
Bowl
Facts
Date:
Tuesday,
Dec. 31,
2024
Time: 12
p.m.
Television:
ESPN
Site:
Tampa,
Fla.
Facility:
Raymond
James
Stadium
Capacity:
65,000
Surface:
Natural
Grass
Website:
ReliaQuestbowl.com
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