4B — January 8, 2020
SportsWednesday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

O

RLANDO, Fla. — Camer-
on McGrone mentioned 

the big plays 
first, taking 
the blame 
for his unit 
without 
explicitly 
saying it.
Michigan 
gave up too 
many, he 
said, and 
that was the key. McGrone 
wasn’t wrong — the defense did 
give up six plays of 20 or more 
yards — but Alabama will do 
that to you. Loaded with a set 
of skill-position players just as 
good as Ohio State’s, if not bet-
ter, Alabama clearly had more 
speed, more athleticism. The 
Crimson Tide won, 35-16, in the 
Citrus Bowl on Wednesday in 
part because of that.
And yet, the defense did what 
it could. Any realistic game-
plan against 
Alabama was 
going to include 
winning in the 
30s or 40s. The 
Crimson Tide’s 
35 points tied 
a season low, 
and they might 
not have even 
gotten that 
many if not for a 
fourth-quarter 
Shea Patterson interception. 
They were just 4-for-10 on third 
down. They were on the field 
for over nine fewer minutes 
than the Wolverines.
Despite the chunk plays, 
Michigan’s defense played as 
well against Alabama as any 
team has this season. There 
are plenty of examples of the 
Wolverines going up against an 
opponent like this and getting 
their pants pulled down — look 
no further than the Buckeyes 
for proof.
This wasn’t that. But it still 
wasn’t enough.

“The defense played lights 
out, so it’s a tough one,” said 
senior quarterback Shea Patter-
son. He knew as well as anyone 
what had happened: the defense 
did as well as you could realis-
tically expect, but the offense 
didn’t hold up its end of the 
bargain.
After Crimson Tide receiver 
Jerry Jeudy torched the Wol-
verines for an opening 85-yard 
touchdown, one where safety 
Dax Hill wasn’t even close to 
keeping up, the Wolverines 
didn’t allow another score for 
10 minutes. In the first half, 
Michigan was in scoring posi-
tion four times to Alabama’s 
twice. But the Wolverines came 
away with just 16 points, lead-
ing by two at the half.
“That was huge as well,” Pat-
terson said. “Any time you get 
the ball you want to put points 
on the board but when you get 
in the red zone, you gotta score 
touchdowns and that hurt us 
tonight.”
Asked about 
Don Brown’s 
feelings on all 
this, McGrone 
noted his 
defensive coor-
dinator’s disap-
pointment. This 
wasn’t the way 
any of them 
wanted the 
season to end, 
and for Brown in particular, it 
was just the latest in a string of 
missed opportunities to make 
a statement on the biggest stage.
Once again, Brown is going to 
head into an offseason of criti-
cism, and in some ways, that’s 
justified. Brown’s lost big games 
in pretty much every way — 
overtime heartbreakers, being 
caught off guard early, falling 
apart in the fourth quarter. This 
time, his unit seemed prepared. 
It played well. It didn’t matter, 
because Michigan couldn’t get 
the win.
“We understand the chal-

lenge that’s in front of us,” 
Brown said Sunday. “We’re 
confident in our ability. You’re 
not going to beat them one way. 
You’re going to have to play a 
number of different coverages. 
And we’re confident in our abil-
ity to do that.”
The sad part for Brown is 
that he was right to be confi-
dent. That performance, against 
one of the best 
offenses in the 
country, one that 
no team could 
stop, should 
have been good 
enough to carry 
the Wolverines 
to a signature 
victory.
Somehow, 
once again, it 
wasn’t.
Michigan was shut out in the 
second half. None of Patterson’s 
deep shots landed. The receiv-
ers had a case of the drops. Pat-
terson had a few costly sacks 
and an interception when he 
really needed to drive. And the 
final scoring margin made it 
seem like the Wolverines had 
given up too many points again.
“(Brown) was disappointed, 
all the time we put it and just 
as a defense, we know what we 
can do but we didn’t show it all 
today,” McGrone said. “So yeah, 
a little disappointment but 
that’s just what it is.”

McGrone knew his unit 
was capable of more, and 
said as much. That’s what all 
good competitors do. But the 
offense’s anemic performance 
required the defense to be 
perfect — and how could you 
expect it to be?
Alabama isn’t like Iowa or 
Wisconsin. This wasn’t ever 
going to be a traditional grind-
it-out Big Ten-
style game. The 
Crimson Tide 
were the third-
ranked offense 
in the country, 
per SP+. Michi-
gan was never 
going to win 
this game in the 
teens or 20s.
This was one 
of the defense’s 
best performances of the sea-
son against about as good of an 
opponent as you can get. The 
defense gave the offense every 
opportunity to seize a signature 
win. The offense couldn’t figure 
out how to take advantage.
But nobody’s going to 
remember how the defense did 
Wednesday, and they shouldn’t.
Because McGrone is right. It 
is what it is now — another bowl 
loss in a long string of them.

Gerson can be reached 

at amgerson@umich.edu or 

on Twitter @aria_gerson.

Michigan’s ‘D’ deserved better
Partridge to Ole Miss

Special teams coordinator 
and 
safeties 
coach 
Chris 
Partridge left the Michigan 
football 
program 
Thursday 
morning, taking a coaching 
position at Ole Miss under 
Lane Kiffin.
Though Partridge’s job title 
was not named in Ole Miss’ 
press release announcing the 
move, it’s widely expected that 
he will be named co-defensive 
coordinator with D.J. Durkin, 
another 
former 
Michigan 
assistant whose hiring the 
Rebels announced Thursday 
morning in a press release.
In Partridge, a former high 
school coach Jim Harbaugh 
hired from Paramus Catholic 
High School in New Jersey, 
the Wolverines lose their best 
recruiter on staff. Partridge 
won 
247Sports’ 
National 
Recruiter of the Year in 2017. 
He 
was 
instrumental 
in 
landing 
five-star 
defensive 
end Rashan Gary — the top-

rated player in the country at 
the time — and flipping five-
star safety Daxton Hill back to 
Michigan from Alabama last 
season. 
“I don’t really know where 
my head was at, at that time,” 
Hill said in October, describing 
his 
recruitment 
process. 
“That’s what happened right 
there.”
Having just finished his 
freshman season, Hill will 
be an instrumental part of 
Michigan’s 
defense 
moving 
forward. The Wolverines will 
have Partridge to thank for 
that. 
Harbaugh’s 
staff 
has 
undergone 
turnover 
every 
offseason. It took less than 24 
hours after Michigan’s season 
ended with a Citrus Bowl loss 
to Alabama this time around.
In 
terms 
of 
replacing 
Partridge, the Wolverines have 
an experienced safeties coach 
in Devin Bush Sr. already on 
staff. They could look there, or 
to an outside hire.

On Saturday afternoon, junior 
receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones 
declared for the NFL Draft, 
electing to forgo his final season 
of eligibility.
It’s the second blow in as many 
days for Michigan’s offense, after 
junior center Cesar Ruiz declared 
for the draft on Friday. Peoples-
Jones’ 
departure 
leaves 
the 
Wolverines without one of their 
top offensive weapons heading 
into 2020. Junior receiver Nico 
Collins has yet to make a decision.
“Coach Harbaugh and the 
University of Michigan have 
provided me with an exceptional 
college experience and I deeply 
value the relationships that I 
forged throughout my time in 
Ann Arbor,” Peoples-Jones said in 
a tweet Saturday. “… After much 
prayer and discussion, I have 
decided to forgo my senior season 
and will enter the 2020 draft! 
This has always been a lifelong 
dream of mine and I am excited 
for the new opportunities in store 
for me. God bless and Go Blue!”
Peoples-Jones arrived in Ann 
Arbor three years ago as one of 
the most heralded signings of the 
Jim Harbaugh era. He came in 
as a five-star recruit and the top-
ranked receiver in the 2017 class.
For the next three seasons, 
though, those skills were only 
sporadically 
on 
display. 
His 
79-yard 
touchdown 
against 
Michigan State in 2018 stands 
out as one of the most memorable 
moments in the Wolverines’ 
recent history.
However, Peoples-Jones finishes 
his Michigan career with just 
103 receptions for 1327 yards and 
14 touchdowns. In 2019, he was 
the 
Wolverines’ 
third-leading 
receiver with 438 yards and six 
touchdowns.
Still, the speed and raw talent 
that made him a top-15 recruit 
also have him projected as a 
probable Day Two NFL Draft 
pick. In his absence, Michigan 
will likely turn to sophomore 
receivers Mike Sainristil, Giles 
Jackson and Cornelius Johnson 
to take over larger roles in the 
offense and replace Peoples-
Jones’ 34 receptions.

Collins to stay, Peoples-Jones to go

One 
day 
after 
Donovan 
Peoples-Jones 
declared 
for 
the NFL draft, junior receiver 
Nico 
Collins 
announced 
he 
will return to Michigan for his 
senior season.
Collins 
arrived 
in 
Ann 
Arbor 
as 
the 
third-
highest 
ranked 
wide 
receiver 
commit in the 
Wolverines’ 
star-studded 
2017 
recruiting 
class, but quickly 
established 
himself 
as 
one 
of 
their 
key offensive weapons. After 
catching just three passes as 
a freshman, Collins broke out 
as a sophomore, recording 38 
catches for 632 yards.
In 2019, he was Michigan’s 
second-leading 
receiver 
with 
729 
yards 
and 
seven 
touchdowns. His strong season 
was capped with a 165-yard, 
three-touchdown performance 
against Indiana in November, 
creating widespread belief that 
he would declare for the NFL 
Draft, where he was projected 
as a likely Day Two pick.
Collins’ 
return, 
though, 

should bolster the Wolverines’ 
receiving corps into one of 
the strengths of their offense 
heading into the 2020 season.
“I am excited to announce 
that with the support of my 
family, I will be returning to 
the University of Michigan for 
my senior year,” Collins said in 
a tweet Sunday 
afternoon. 
“I 
am taking this 
opportunity 
to 
progressively 
evolve my craft, 
in 
preparation 
for what God had 
in store for me!
“I have always 
believed 
in 
finishing 
what 
I started. Coach 
(Jim) Harbaugh, 
coach (Josh) Gattis and staff 
have helped me grow as a player 
and person. Another season 
with our coaching staff will 
allow me to continue to work on 
my skill and development which 
will prepare me for the next 
level.”
He 
is 
expected 
to 
join 
sophomore Ronnie Bell and 
freshman 
Giles 
Jackson 
as 
Michigan’s starting receivers. 
Along with the return of redshirt 
junior tight end Nick Eubanks, 
that group will likely account for 
the majority of the Wolverines’ 
receiving production in 2020.

Harbaugh sees bowl chance slip away

ORLANDO, 
Fla. 
— 
Jim 
Harbaugh gathered his team 
together at halftime with a 
simple message: Finish the way 
the way you want to finish.
For a month, the widespread 
expectation for Wednesday’s 
Citrus Bowl was a blowout. 
Even in a down year for 
Alabama, the Crimson Tide 
are still college football’s flag 
bearer, providing a measuring 
stick for any program — like 
Michigan — hoping to join the 
nation’s elite.
Yet, with 30 minutes to play, 
the Wolverines held a two-
point lead. Thirty minutes 
from the type of win that could 
re-define 
a 
season. 
Thirty 
minutes from the type of win 
nobody in that locker room had 
ever experienced.
So Harbaugh directed his 
message at the seniors.
“I know personally, I wanted 
to get that win for the seniors,” 
sophomore 
linebacker 
Cam 
McGrone said, echoing his 
coach’s message. “Cause this is 
their last time playing a game.”
With one half to play in their 
college careers, they had lost in 
all four of their games against 
Ohio State and all three of their 
bowl tries. But here in Orlando, 
Harbaugh told them, there 
was an opportunity to put that 
behind them and grab a victory 
that would stand alone in their 
careers.
It’s true for the seniors.
It’s also true for Harbaugh.
Hailed as Michigan’s savior 
when he arrived five years 
ago, he’s now lost the last two 
games of the season four years 
in a row. Since the Wolverines’ 
five-win improvement in his 
first year, the theme of his 
tenure has been stagnation. 
In that first season, he won 10 
games. Half a decade later, he’s 
still never won 11.
All of that has been repeated 
ad nauseum, just with the 
numbers 
being 
updated 
annually.
But on Wednesday, it felt 
more glaringly obvious than 
ever. Because on the other 

sideline stood Alabama, which 
did win 11 games this year. The 
Crimson Tide viewed it as a 
disappointment.
Harbaugh on his nine wins? 
“I feel good about (the future of 
our program). I feel good about 
some of the young players that 
got 
great 
experiences 
this 
season and, you know, them 
getting 
their 
opportunity, 
going to work on that.”
Losing to Alabama shouldn’t 
deter that. The Wolverines 
held the Crimson Tide to 
their 
lowest 
point total of 
the season in 
a 
far-from-
embarrassing 
35-16 loss.
But it does 
provide 
a 
glimpse at the 
opportunity 
Michigan, and 
Harbaugh, 
let 
slip away.
“It just builds off going into 
next year,” Alabama cornerback 
Patrick Surtain said. “Like I 
said, we needed this game. Just 
a key moment going into next 
year. It’s a point of emphasis, 
going into next year with a high 
head on our shoulders.”
That’s 
for 
Alabama, 
a 
program whose expectation 
next year will be a national 
championship. The Crimson 
Tide, 
though, 
understand 
that getting there starts now, 
where a win will propel them 
into an offseason filled with 
confidence and optimism.
Michigan 
understands 

that too. Tuesday morning, 
Harbaugh called the Citrus 
Bowl, “a great opportunity 
for our season, for this 2019 
season.”
The 
difference 
for 
the 
Wolverines is they couldn’t 
take 
advantage. 
So 
while 
Alabama enters the offseason 
with 2019 marking a mere blip 
on their radar, Michigan enters 
theirs with no more answers 
than it had a year ago.
It’s why, as the clock ticked 
toward zeroes late afternoon, 
Harbaugh paced 
the 
Michigan 
sideline 
in 
a 
familiar 
pose: 
hands on hips, 
eyes 
trained 
toward 
the 
ground.
A 
few 
moments 
after 
Harbaugh 
had 
walked 
down 
the 
tunnel, 
towards a familiarly uncertain 
offseason, his counterpart — 
Alabama coach Nick Saban 
— cracked a smile and tossed 
a few celebratory oranges out 
of the Citrus Bowl trophy and 
toward his adoring players.
“I think that there was a lot 
of value for our program and 
our team to be able to come 
and get a reward, first of all, 
for having a successful season,” 
Saban said. “I know most 
people would think that 10-2 
was a good season. That’s not 
necessarily our standard.”
For 
Harbaugh 
and 
the 
Wolverines, it is. In a good year.

THEO MACKIE
Managing Sports Editor

THEO MACKIE
Managing Sports Editor

ETHAN SEARS
Managing Sports Editor

ARIA
GERSON

ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
Cam McGrone was part of a Michigan defense that held Alabama to 35 points.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Special teams coordinator Chris Patridge was at Michigan for five seasons.

MILES MACKLIN/Daily
Junior receiver Nico Collins will return for his senior season in 2020.

THEO MACKIE
Managing Sports Editor

ALEC COHEN/Daily
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has now lost his last four bowl games.

I have always 
believed in 
finishing what I 
started.

Personally, I 
wanted to get 
that win for the 
seniors.

The offense 
didn’t hold up 
its end of the 
bargain.

We know what 
we can do, but 
we didn’t show 
it all today.

