Alabama's Season Ends on Sour Note with 19-13 Loss to Michigan in ReliaQuest Bowl

Three early turnovers doomed the Crimson Tide from the start as Alabama's 16-year streak of at least 10 wins ends.

Dec 31, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive end Derrick Moore (8) sacks Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

TAMPA, Fla.–– For the second year in a row, Alabama couldn't find any Milroe magic on fourth down in the red zone.

Alabama had the ball at the Michigan 15 with a little over a minute left and threw the ball four straight times with four straight incompletions as the Wolverines held on to upset No. 11 Alabama 19-13 in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa on Tuesday afternoon.

The nail in the coffin was Michigan's 37-yard field goal with 7:21 left to make it a two-score game at 19-10. Alabama cut the deficit back down to six on the next possession after Graham Nicholson connected on a season-long 51-yard field goal to make it 19-13.

The game couldn't have gotten off to a much worse start for the Crimson Tide. Alabama officially turned it over on three of its first four possessions with quarterback Jalen Milroe responsible for all three turnovers (two fumbles and an interception.) And the first offensive drive was a turnover on downs. Michigan got the ball in Crimson Tide territory on all four possessions and jumped out to a 16-0 lead.

"Obviously we dug ourselves in a hole in the first quarter," Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said after the game. "The turnovers gave them great field position. I thought our defense did a good job most of those drives holding them to field goals, gave them a chance.

That deficit proved too large to overcome as Alabama never led in the game. Milroe finished with a 50 percent completion percentage, three turnovers and seven yards rushing on 16 carries. He had multiple turnovers in Alabama's final three games.

DeBoer said he did not consider replacing Milroe at quarterback, even after the three early turnovers.

It was a testament to the defense that the Wolverines only scored 16 points. The Alabama defense held Michigan to field goals on three of those four possessions after the Wolverines got the ball in the red zone three straight times.

At the end of the first quarter, Alabama was down 16 points and had -2 yards of offense. But the Crimson Tide was able to flip the script in the second quarter. The defense continued its strong play, and the offense was finally able to find some success after six poor drives.

Freshman wide receiver Rico Scott got the offense going on a 28-yard rush into Michigan territory. Tackle Elijah Pritchett saved the drive by recovering CJ Dippre's fumble on a screen, and two plays later, Milroe found Robbie Ouzts in the end zone to cut the Michigan lead to 16-7 for his first passing touchdown against a Power Four opponent since Oct. 19 against Tennessee.

After another stop by the defense, the offense got the ball back with less than a minute left in the half. Two explosive plays by Milroe and Germie Bernard had the Tide back in the red zone, where Alabama had to settle for a field goal and a 16-10 score at halftime. The momentum that the Tide took into the half did not carry over into the second half.

"I loved the fight in our team at the end of the first half to gain some momentum," DeBoer said. "Just gotta finish some drives there at the end of the fourth quarter. That's what it comes down to. Make a throw, make a catch."

Freshman cornerback Zabien Brown gave Alabama great field position at the end of the third quarter with his third interception of the season with his team trailing 16-10 The Crimson Tide got the ball at the 50, but the drive stalled out at the Michigan 34. Alabama chose to go for it on fourth-and-7 instead of attempting the 51-yard field that would've cut the deficit to three points.

Ryan Williams' punt return before Alabama's final drive set the Tide up at its own 44. The offense moved the ball down the field before failing in the red zone.

Linebacker Jihaad Campbell was valiant in what was likely his last game in a Crimson Tide uniform. Even after missing the fourth quarter with an injury, Campbell led the team with 11 tackles.

The defense was not the issue. Actually, Michigan's 190 yards were the lowest total yardage by an offense in ReliaQuest Bowl history, but because of the help from the turnovers early on, the Wolverines were still able to win. Overall, the defense had eight tackles for loss and two sacks in the game.

Alabama finishes DeBoer's first season with a 9-4 record, ending the 16-year streak of at least 10 wins.

"I want that guys that are going to be coming back to remember this feeling, remember some of the feelings throughout the year," DeBoer said. "We've got to keep building and continue to move forward."

Final stats from the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl / Statbroadcast