Jeudy, Jones lead Alabama past Michigan
ORLANDO, Fla. — Jerry Jeudy could have sat out Alabama’s bowl game and still almost certainly would have been a firstround draft pick.
He played instead — and if this was his finale, his stock likely soared.
Mac Jones threw three touchdown passes, Jeudy became the first Alabama player to top 200 receiving yards in a bowl game and the ninthranked Crimson Tide topped No. 17 Michigan 3516 on Wednesday in the Citrus Bowl.
“I’ve played football all my life,“said Jeudy, the junior who was the game’s MVP pick. “I couldn’t just sit out there and watch my team play. … I love playing football, so I just came out here and competed with my brothers.“
Jones connected with Jeudy for an 85yard score on Alabama’s first snap, DeVonta Smith and Miller Forristall added touchdown grabs in the second half for the Crimson Tide (112), which trailed 1614 at the break. Najee Harris ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns for Alabama.
Jeudy finished with six catches for 204 yards. His previous careerhigh for yards was 147 set last season against Missouri, and the Alabama bowl record had stood for more than a halfcentury — Ray Perkins had 178 yards against Nebraska in the 1967 Sugar Bowl.
“Certainly, he used this opportunity to showcase his ability so it probably even enhanced his opportunities at the next level,“said Alabama coach Nick Saban, whose team outscored Michigan 210 after halftime. “Very, very proud of our team.“
Jones — who took over as Alabama’s starter when Tua Tagovailoa was lost for the season with an injury in November — completed 16 of 25 passes for 327 yards.
Shea Patterson completed 17 of 37 passes for 233 yards and a touchdown for Michigan (94), which dropped its fourth consecutive bowl game. Quinn Nordin kicked three field goals for the Wolverines, including a schoolrecordtying 57yarder to end the first half and give Michigan the lead.
“It was a hardfought game,“Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Congratulations to Alabama. I thought both teams played extremely hard.“
The Crimson Tide had two touchdown drives of 90 seconds or less — Jeudy’s score on Alabama’s first play and a long goahead touchdown grab by Smith early in the third quarter. They were quickstrike all season long, with 22 TD drives taking 1:30 or less and 38 TDs coming in 2:00 or less.
And the last of those was the one that put this game away for Alabama with 10:01 remaining.
Facing 3rdand11 from its own 8, Jones connected with Jeudy for 14 yards. On the next snap, Jones and Jeudy hooked up for 58 more yards. And the next snap was a 20yard scoring pass to a wideopen Forristall.
OUTBACK BOWL
TAMPA, Fla. — Tyler Johnson had 12 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns Wednesday to become Minnesota’s career receiving leader and propel the 16thranked Gophers to a 3124 victory over No. 9 Auburn in the Outback
Bowl.
Johnson broke Eric Decker’s school record for receiving yards on his second catch of the day and became Minnesota’s alltime leader for scoring receptions on a onehanded, 2yard TD catch that put the Gophers (112) up 2417 at halftime. His 73yard catchandrun put his team ahead for good early in the fourth quarter.
Minnesota, which began the season with nine straight victories before losing two of its last three to Big Ten rivals Iowa and Wisconsin, finished with more than 10 wins for the first time since 1904. Auburn (94) concluded a season in which all four of its losses came against opponents ranked in the Top 25.
Tanner Morgan completed 19 of 29 passes for 278 yards, one interception and both of the TDs to Johnson, who finished with 3,305 receiving yards and 33 TD catches in his career. Receiver Seth Green tossed a 1yard touchdown pass to
Bryce Witham on fourthandinches midway through the second quarter.
Noah Igbinoghene, who mother and father were both Olympic track and field athletes in Nigeria, returned a kickoff 96 yards for Auburn’s first touchdown. Bo Nix threw a 37yard TD pass to Sal Cannella and JaTarvious Whitlow scored 3yard run that made it 2424 heading into the fourth quarter.
Morgan broke the tie with his second TD throw to Johnson, who posted the 16th 100yard game of his career and caught at least one TD pass for the seventh straight game, tying a another school record.
The Gophers dominated on the ground, too, outrushing Auburn 215 yards to 56. Mohamed Ibrahim ran for 140 yards on 20 carries, and Rodney Smith finished with 69 on 16 attempts.
Nix was 17 of 26 for 176 yards, one TD and no interceptions.