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BOX SCORE
MIAMI (AP) -- Michigan came from behind twice, then held on in
overtime to win.
Ryan Pflugner missed an extra-point attempt by inches on the
final play to give the No. 8 Wolverines a 35-34 victory over Alabama (No. 6 ESPN/USA Today, No. 5 AP) on Saturday night in the Orange Bowl.
|  | | Michigan players hoist the Orange Bowl trophy for all their fans to see. |
"Everyone is going to blame me," said Pflugner, a senior. "I
missed the last kick. It came down to an extra point I should have
made. But it's a team game. Everyone probably could have done
something to make it better."
Michigan's Tom Brady threw for 369 yards and four touchdowns,
including three to David Terrell, and the Wolverines twice overcame
14-point deficits.
After Michigan's Shawn Thompson caught a 25-yard touchdown pass
on the first play of overtime, Alabama scored on Andrew Zow's
21-yard pass to Antonio Carter. But Pflugner's extra-point attempt
was just wide to the right.
"This is the greatest ending to a game ever," Michigan
linebacker Ian Gold said.
His coach, Lloyd Carr, was less exuberant.
"It was a great football game," Carr said. "It was a shame
somebody had to lose. As much I enjoy winning, I hate to see it end
the way it did, with a missed extra point."
The Wolverines won even though they lost a fumble at the Alabama
1 in the fourth quarter and had a 36-yard field goal attempt
blocked to force the overtime.
Shaun Alexander, the Southeastern Conference player of the year,
rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns in his final game for
Alabama. His scores came on runs of 5, 6 and 50 yards, and teammate
Freddie Milons scored on a 62-yard punt return.
The Wolverines (10-2) managed just one first down
in the opening 28 minutes but completed their third consecutive
10-win season.
"Everybody said we weren't good enough, but we showed them,"
said Terrell, who caught 10 passes for 150 yards.
The Crimson Tide (10-3) lost in their 50th bowl game, an NCAA record.
"It hurts," Milons said. "It really, really hurts, especially
when you've played as hard as you can."
The Wolverines' first six possessions produced just one first
down, which came on a 5-yard gain on a fake punt. The offense
finally mustered a first down with 1:18 left in the opening half,
then scored two plays later on a 27-yard pass from Brady to
Terrell.
The Wolverines erased deficits of 14-0 and 28-14 thanks to
Terrell, who tied Orange Bowl and Michigan bowl records with three
touchdown receptions.
Brady, who was 34-for-46, led Michigan to three touchdowns in a
12-minute span in the third quarter.
The comeback wasn't the first by the Wolverines, who rallied
from fourth-quarter deficits to win three times during the regular
season.
"They've done that all year long," Carr said. "I'll be glad
to get rid of them; I don't have much heart left."
Phillip Weeks blocked a field-goal attempt by Hayden Epstein as
time ran out in the fourth quarter, forcing the overtime. Earlier
in the period, Anthony Thomas lost a fumble at the Alabama 1.
"Everything is not rose petals when it's a street fight,"
Terrell said.
Attendance based on tickets sold was 70,461, but the actual
crowd totaled only about 50,000. The no-shows missed a game filled
with penalties and punts but also plenty of big plays and swings in
momentum.
Alexander turned a third-and-1 run into a 50-yard touchdown,
breaking three tackles to give Alabama a 21-14 lead in the third
quarter. Less than three minutes later, Milons caught a 51-yard
punt, weaved across the field and scored untouched to make it
28-14.
The Wolverines made the score 14-all on their first series of
the second half. Terrell caught a short pass from Brady, eluded
cornerback Milo Lewis and sprinted the end zone, completing a
57-yard play.
Terrell beat Lewis again in the third quarter for a 20-yard
score.
Alabama picked up only one first down in the opening quarter,
but a 32-yard run by Alexander got the Tide rolling. The play
started a 76-yard drive that ended with Alexander's 5-yard
touchdown run.
Three minutes later, Alabama scored again. Milons' 23-punt
return and a late-hit penalty gave the Tide the ball at the
Michigan 31, and Alexander's 6-yard touchdown run made the score
14-0.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Michigan Clubhouse
Alabama Clubhouse
Pflugner keeps missed kick in perspective
Michigan offense only answer for Alexander
FedEx Orange Bowl
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Tom Brady throws 25-yards to Shawn Thompson for the win in OT. (Courtesy:ABC)
avi: 633 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Tom Brady connects with David Terrell for a 20-yard TD.(Courtesy:ABC)
avi: 1290 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Anthony Thomas rumbles in the 3-yard touchdown.(Courtesy:ABC)
avi: 1376 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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