Iowa: 2025 Reliaquest Bowl Champions

 

TAMPA — There’s nothing to lose, but something to gain. Open the playbook and see what the 2025 Hawkeyes can scheme up on the national stage.

Michigan: 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl Champions

 

TAMPA, Fla. -- — A year removed from winning the national championship, Michigan finished its first season under Sherrone Moore with a victory setting the tone for a bright future.

Moore replaced Jim Harbaugh after the former Wolverines coach left for the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers last winter. He called Tuesday's 19-13 victory over Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl a total team effort that bodes well for the Wolverines moving forward.

“We’ve got a great culture and great kids,” Moore said. "No one person wins a game ... no two people. It’s always going to be a team sport.”

Michigan's defense sacked Jalen Milroe five times and forced three turnovers by the Alabama quarterback. ReliaQuest Bowl MVP Jordan Marshall rushed for 100 yards on 23 carries to help the Wolverines dominate time of possession.

Dominic Zvada kicked four field goals and Davis Warren threw a first-half touchdown pass to Fredrick Moore as Michigan (8-5) finished the season on a three-game winning streak that included back-to-back upsets of rival Ohio State and Alabama.

“We were 5-5 and then we won some games, but it’s not the standard,” Marshall said. "We’re going to be better than this next year.”

Alabama's season ended with a loss to Michigan for the second year in a row. The Wolverines and the Crimson Tide (9-4, No. 11 CFP) met in a College Football Playoff semifinal at last season's Rose Bowl, with Michigan winning on the way to capturing the national championship.

Tuesday's loss ended Alabama's string of 16 consecutive seasons with double-digit wins. Kalen DeBoer inherited the streak from seven-time national championship-winning coach Nick Saban, who retired after last season.

“Every time you’re in the locker room and you have something like this, it’s disappointing. But I think there’s a lot of things that you take from it,” DeBoer said, reflecting on his first season with the Crimson Tide.

“So to me, it’s a success if we move forward and we take advantage of the lessons (learned this season), even though we don’t want to learn those lessons sometimes, because they’re hard,” DeBoer added. "We’re going to learn from those lessons, move forward and be better next year because of it.”

Milroe shrugged off a disastrous first quarter that was played almost exclusively in Alabama territory during heavy rain that sent many in the crowd at Raymond James Stadium scurrying for cover. The Crimson Tide had a chance to win it in the closing minutes but turned the ball over on downs after driving to the Michigan 15.

Milroe lost two fumbles and threw an interception on three of Alabama's first four drives. The fourth possession ended badly, too, with Milroe being sacked for an 11-yard loss at the Crimson Tide 44 on fourth-and-4.

Michigan, however, was able to turn the blunders into only 16 points — Warren's TD pass to Moore and field goals of 45, 30 and 21 yards for a 16-0 lead.

Milroe cut into Alabama's deficit with a 25-yard TD pass to Robbie Ouzts, then ran for 41 yards and threw to Germie Bernard for 40 on back-to-back plays to set up Graham Nicholson's 24-yard field goal just before halftime.

Michigan defense made the narrow halftime lead stand until Zvada's 37-yard field goal put the Wolverines up 19-10 midway through the fourth quarter. Alabama countered with Nicholson's 51-yarder to make it a one score game again with 4:38 to go.

Milroe finished 16 of 32 passing for 192 yards, one TD and an interception.

Warren was 9 of 12 for 73 yards without an interception before limping off the field after being sacked early in the third quarter. Alex Orji finished up at quarterback for the Wolverines.

Takeaways

Michigan pressured Milroe all day long, and the Crimson Tide never fully recovered from the quarterback's early mistakes.

Up next

Michigan: Opens next season on Aug. 30 at home vs. New Mexico following a highly anticipated competition for the starting quarterback job. The nation's No. 1 high school recruit, Bryce Underwood, practiced with the Wolverines for the ReliaQuest Bowl and was on the sideline Tuesday as an early enrollee. The competition also will include Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene.

Alabama: The Crimson Tide opens their second season under DeBoer on the road on Aug. 30 at Florida State. One question heading into the offseason is who will take the first snap at quarterback. Milroe hasn't said if he'll enter the NFL draft or return to school.

LSU: 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl Champions

TAMPA — Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels was missing, but it didn't stop LSU from having its quarterback provide heroics to win a big game.

Game MVP Garrett Nussmeier led an eight-play, 98-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter to rally No. 13 LSU football past unranked Wisconsin, 35-31, on Monday in the 2024 Reliaquest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.

Nussmeier connected with Bryan Thomas Jr. on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 3:08 remaining for the winning score. He finished 31 of 45 for 395 yards and three touchdowns as LSU piled up 492 yards of total offense.

The Tigers (10-3) needed every bit of their offense's production as their much-maligned defense, ranked 101st nationally in total defense and 76th in scoring defense, allowed 506 yards. Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Modecai had his first 300-yard game of the season and finished 27 of 40 for 378 yards and three touchdowns.

LSU's defense, however, made two big plays when it needed them to clinch the game by sacking Modecai on third and fourth downs as the Badgers were driving for the winning score in the final minute.

LSU football erases 14-point deficit for second time

Jackson Aker's 33-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the second half put Wisconsin up 28-14, but LSU rallied to tie the score for the second time with scores on back-to-back possessions.Nussmeier tossed a 38-ychard touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr., then followed up with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hilton Jr. to tie the score, 28-28.

And of course, Wisconsin (7-6) quickly answered to retake the lead, this time on a field goal, to take a 31-28 lead into the fourth quarter.

Wisconsin strikes quickly twice for early lead over LSU

After LSU's opening drive stalled after nine plays, Wisconsin took over at its own 22 and needed just five plays to go 78 yards for the first touchdown of the game. Quarterback Mordecai completed back-to-back passes to Will Pauling for 53 yards, the first a 12-yard gain on third-and-five and the second pass going for 41 yards.

The back-to-back completions set up a 20-yard touchdown pass to Bryson Green in the corner of the end zone.

On the Badgers' third possession, they needed just two plays to go 60 yards and scored on Mordecai's 53-yard pass to Pauling that put Wisconsin up 14-0. Mordecai, who had just six touchdown passes on the season, was 5 of 5 for 127 yards in the quarter, and Pauling had three catches for 106 yards.

LSU salvages first half with big second quarter

LSU was shut out in the first quarter for just the second all season – the first coming in its 34-31 victory over Arkansas in Game 4 – but got back in the game by scoring on consecutive possessions to tie it up.

Harold Perkins Jr. scored on a 1-yard run to cap an eight-play, 60-yard drive, and Kaleb Jackson ran in from 12 yards to cap a seven-play, 67-yard drive.

A late touchdown gave Wisconsin a 21-14 halftime lead. The Badgers finished the first half with 291 yards of total offense to 232 yards for LSU. Mordecai was 14-of-20 for 219 yards and two touchdowns. Nussmeier was 18-of-26 for 179 yards and one interception.

Mississippi State: 2023 ReliaQuest Bowl Champions

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Massimo Biscardi made a 27-yard tiebreaking field goal with four seconds left, Marcus Banks returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown on the game's last play and No. 24 Mississippi State rallied to beat Illinois 19-10 in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Monday in the Bulldogs' first game since coach Mike Leach's death.

Banks' score came on Illinois' fifth lateral following a completed pass after the Fighting Ilini got the ball at their own 29. There was a scrum on the field as the game ended, but order was restored after a couple of minutes.

Will Rogers was 29 of 44 yards for 261 yards and one touchdown for Mississippi State (9-4, No. 22 CFP).

Tommy DeVito completed 23 of 34 passes for 253 yards for Illinois (8-5).

Reggie Love III rushed for 53 yards on 12 carries for Illinois. Fighting Illini running back Chase Brown, the nation’s second-leading rusher in the regular season with 1,643 yards, sat out to prepare for the NFL draft.

Mississippi State was held without a touchdown until the first play of the fourth quarter, when Rogers connected on an eight-yard throw to Justin Robinson that tied the game at 10.

The Bulldogs averaged 32.7 points during the regular season.

Illinois, which entered allowing 12.3 points and held six opponents to under 10 points, played without defensive backs Devon Witherspoon and Sydney Brown. Both opted out ahead of the NFL draft.

DeVito put Illinois up 7-0 on a two-yard run with 2:49 left in the second quarter.

Mississippi State responded with a 38-yard field goal by Biscardi with nine seconds to go in the first half.

IIlinois went up 10-3 on a 52-yard field goal by Caleb Griffin midway through the third.

Mississippi State was limited to 50 yards on its first three possessions, while the next two ended on interceptions by Matthew Bailey and Kendall Smith.

Illinois tops the nation with 24 interceptions.

HONORING MIKE

Among the tributes to Leach, who died on Dec. 12 due to complications from a heart condition, was “MIKE” with a pirate logo as part of the “I” painted between the 20 and 30 on one segment of the field.

The Mississippi State band spelled out “LEACH" before a moment of silence was held before the game.

The Bulldogs had a pirate flag instead of the school logo on their helmets. Illinois’ helmet had a logo similar to what was painted on the field.

Leach’s nickname was “The Pirate.”

UP NEXT

Mississippi State: Opens the 2023 regular-season on Sept. 2 against Southeastern Louisiana.

Illinois: Hosts Toledo on Sept. 2.