TAMPA, Fla.— In its final exam to end the first season of the Kalen DeBoer era, Alabama football condensed the highs and lows of its entire 2024 season into 60 minutes.
For the Crimson Tide , the bad outweighed the good is it lost 19-13 to Michigan in the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl to secure Alabama 's first season without 10 wins since 2007.
Alabama will open the 2025 season Saturday, Aug. 30, on the road against Florida State.
Here's how the Crimson Tide graded out in its six-point loss to Michigan.
Alabama had one of, if not the, worst first quarter in school history, accumulating more turnovers than total yards on 15 plays with turnovers galore, making Jalen Milroe 's Oklahoma struggles look easily correctable.
The Crimson Tide then changed its tune for two second-quarter drives, reverting back to the efficiency, the adaptability and the big-play capabilities it showcased against LSU and Georgia. Then Milroe and company reverted back to what the Sooners saw in Norman: a group unable to move the ball until it was too late.
The Alabama defense did what it could, stopping the run, locking down an efficient, yet short-play passing game from the Michigan offense. But with a consistent short field, the Wolverines took advantage with three field goals and a touchdown in the first half. Alabama's defense shut down the Wolverines for three points in the final three quarters. Alabama allowed 191 yards of offense, the lowest in ReliaQuest Bowl history. It still was not enough.
Graham Nicholson hit his seventh and eighth field goals of the season in 10 tries, including a 51-yard fourth-quarter score that cut the Crimson Tide's deficit to one score. James Burnip had four punts for 204 yards, two of which were 50-plus yards including a 61-yard boom of a kick. Alabama's special teams was not the problem.
A lethargic start offensively proved to be too detrimental for an Alabama team that tried to surge too late, a team that looked like it wanted to be anywhere but Tampa for the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Alabama did not feel it should have ended its season in this bowl. One year after falling to the Wolverines in a game with national championship implications, an Alabama loss to Michigan ended its 16-year streak of 10-win seasons.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football ReliaQuest Bowl report card vs Michigan.
