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.