Florida running back Lamical Perine heads into the end zone for a touchdown against Michigan during the first half of the Peach Bowl on Saturday in Atlanta.ATLANTA – The Florida football program capped its comeback year in a big way.
For the second straight game, Michigan was left reeling.
Lamical Perine had a 5-yard touchdown catch and a 53-yard touchdown run to lead the No. 10 Gators’ strong rushing attack Saturday as they affirmed their return to relevance with a 41-15 rout of No. 8 Michigan in the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
After finishing 4-7 in 2017, Florida enjoyed a dramatic turnaround in Dan Mullen’s first season as coach. The bowl win put the Gators (10-3) in position to enter next season ranked in the top 10.
“In year one, to come here and to know where we were this time a year ago to where we are today, it’s special to me,” Mullen said. ” To finish as a 10-win season, one of the top 10 teams in the country, that’s pretty special.”
Both Peach Bowl participants finished 10-3, but Florida closed with four straight victories and Michigan finished with two straight lopsided losses.
“I don’t know many teams that’d be lining up to play us right now,” Mullen said.
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. Coach Jim Harbaugh said he thought his players had recovered from allowing 567 yards in a 62-39 loss to Ohio State to close the regular season, ending 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, adding he still considered the season to have been “very good” and did not plan staff changes.
Feleipe Franks passed for one touchdown and ran for another to lead Florida’s offense. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson 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 rest of the way.
“We showed a lot of heart and a lot of fight and treated it like a regular week. I don’t know how they prepared,” Gardner-Johnson said of the Wolverines. “But I don’t think they prepared too well.”
Shea Patterson’s 9-yard pass to Donovan Peoples-Jones in the first quarter provided the Wolverines’ only touchdown. Patterson threw two second-half interceptions and finished 22-of-36 passing for 236 yards and a touchdown.
Virginia 28, South Carolina 0
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Bryce Perkins threw three touchdown passes to Olamide Zaccheaus and Virginia’s defense dominated as the Cavaliers rolled at the Belk Bowl for their first postseason victory since 2005.
Perkins completed 22 of 31 passes for 208 yards and ran for 81 yards as the Cavaliers (8-5) ended the Atlantic Coast Conference’s longest active drought for bowl wins. Zaccheaus had 12 catches for 100 yards and Jordan Ellis ran for 106 yards and a touchdown, helping Virginia hold the ball for more than 42 minutes.
South Carolina (7-6) was shut out for the first time since an 18-0 loss to Georgia in 2006. Junior quarterback Jake Bentley, who had thrown for 16 touchdowns over the previous five games – including a 510-yard, five-touchdown performance against Clemson – was limited to 218 yards on 17-of-39 passing and was intercepted twice.
The Gamecocks clearly weren’t the same playing without wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who is preparing for the NFL draft.
Nevada 16, Arkansas State 13, OT
TUCSON, Ariz. – Reagan Roberson bulldozed through one tackler and dove into the end zone for an 11-yard catch-and-run in overtime, lifting the Wolf Pack over the Red Wolves in the Arizona Bowl.
Nevada (8-5) labored against Arkansas State’s defensive front all game before coming to life late, going up 10-7 on Devonte Lee’s 1-yard touchdown run and Ramiz Ahmed’s extra-point kick with 1:06 left.
Arkansas State (8-5) racked up 499 yards, but the Red Wolves were 1-for-5 in the red zone with two turnovers before quickly marching downfield at the end of regulation. Blake Grupe, who had one field goal blocked and badly missed on another, drilled a 32-yarder to tie it on the final play and opened overtime with a 24-yard field goal, but Roberson caught a pass from Ty Gangi before bulling his way into the end zone for the win.