Michigan upsets No. 9 Florida 41-35

1/1/2008
ASSOCIATED PRESS

ORLANDO, Fla. Lloyd Carr went out a winner.

Chad Henne threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns, Mike Hart ran for 129 yards and two scores and the Wolverines upset No. 9 Florida 41-35 Tuesday in the Capital One Bowl to win their first bowl game since 2003.

This one was special.

Michigan's senior class won its first bowl game in four tries and Carr ended his coaching career on a high note.

Henne, Adrian Arrington and Mario Manningham torched Florida's secondary all game. Arrington caught nine passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and Manningham added five catches for 78 yards and a score.

The Gators (9-4) kept it close thanks to four turnovers and plenty of big plays by Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and speedster Percy Harvin.

Florida failed to convert a fourth-down play at its 25-yard line, and K.C. Lopata's 41-yard field goal put Michigan (9-4) ahead 41-35 with 2:21 remaining.

The Gators got another shot, but Tebow threw four straight incompletions to end any chance of a comeback.

The Wolverines dumped a bucket of water on Carr in the closing seconds, then players started jumping up and down and dancing around their retiring coach.

They also carried him to midfield. His players dropped him off and headed straight to the Michigan section for a raucous celebration one they haven't had after a bowl game since beating Florida in the Outback Bowl.

"What they did in this game and this environment, well, I love them to death," Carr said.

Harvin ran 13 times for 165 yards and a touchdown, and caught nine passes for 77 yards and a score.

Read more in later editions of The Blade and toledoblade.com.