Gators finish year in style
Runaway win caps 1st season under Mullen
ATLANTA — Lamical Perine had a 5-yard scoring catch and 53-yard touchdown run to lead No. 10 Florida’s strong rushing attack Saturday, helping the Gators cap their comeback season with a 41-15 rout of No. 7 Michigan in the Peach Bowl.
After finishing 4-7 in 2017, Florida enjoyed a dramatic turnaround in Dan Mullen’s debut season as coach.
“To know where we were last season to where we are now is something special,” Mullen said. “To finish as a 10-win season, one of the top 10 teams in the country, that’s pretty special.”
Florida (10-3) closed the season with four straight wins.
“I’d call this season a success. I don’t know many teams that’d be lining up to play us right now,” Mullen said.
Michigan (10-3) closed a promising season with two straight lopsided losses.
Feleipe Franks ran and passed for touchdowns to lead Florida’s offense. He had a 20-yard scoring run in the second quarter and finished with 74 yards rushing on 14 carries. Franks passed for 173 yards.
Chauncey GardnerJohnson led Florida’s defense with two interceptions, including one returned 30 yards for a touchdown with less than five minutes remaining. Gardner-Johnson’s first interception early in the second half, when Florida led only 13-10, set the tone for the Gators.
The Wolverines faced the unenviable task of having four top starters, including top rusher Karan Higdon and leading tackler Devin Bush, skip the game to focus on the NFL draft.
After giving up 567 yards in a crushing 62-39 loss to Ohio State to close the regular season, Michigan’s defense again couldn’t play up to its No. 1 ranking.
Coach Jim Harbaugh thought his players recovered from the devastating loss to Ohio State, which ended the Wolverines’ hopes for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
“I thought they were ready. I thought they were emotionally ready, yeah,” Harbaugh said. “
Harbaugh said he still considered the season to have been “very good.”
“It would have been a great season had we won this game,” he said. “Didn’t get that done.”
Harbaugh said he does not plan staff changes.
Florida compiled 427 total yards, including 257 on the ground. Perine led the Gators with 76 yards rushing. Jordan Scarlett ran for 59 yards, including a 1-yard scoring run.
Michigan led 7-3 after Shea Patterson’s 9-yard scoring pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones in the first quarter — the Wolverines’ only touchdown. Patterson threw two second-half interceptions and completed 22 of 36 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown.
Trailing 13-10, Michigan’s first possession of the second half began at its 48. The excellent scoring opportunity was only a prelude for disappointment.
The Wolverines gained one first down before Patterson’s deep pass over the middle was intercepted at the 3 by Gardner-Johnson, whose 47-yard return to the Michigan 44 set up the Gators.
Speedy Kadarius Toney gained 30 yards on a fourth-down, end-around run to the Michigan 5. Franks’ 5-yard touchdown pass to Perine pushed the Florida lead to 20-10.
Michigan had two apparent touchdowns negated following video reviews by officials.