ORLANDO, Fla., — Here are 10 takeaways from No. 13 Alabama's 35-16 victory over No. 14 Michigan in the Citrus Bowl.

Playing in his home state in what will likely be his final game in an Alabama uniform, Jerry Jeudy but on a show. The junior receiver recorded his first career 200-yard game with the Crimson Tide, reeling in six receptions for 204 yards and a touchdown through the air.

“First, it's really a team effort, really,” Jeudy said after the game. “So everything, starting from the O-line, to the quarterback, to the play calling, we just executed very well and I just did what I had to do when my name was called.”

Jeudy scored his touchdown on Alabama’s first offensive play as he was on the other end of an 85-yard bomb from quarterback Mac Jones. The play was the second-longest in Citrus Bowl history, trailing only an 87-yard pass from former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray to receiver Chris Conley in 2013.

“They pretty much played eight-flip coverage, so that's kind of what we wanted them to do,” Jones said of the touchdown to Jeudy. “We motioned the tight end in and we got a one-on-one with Jerry. So that's kind of how it played out in practice. So it was just a perfect look. I knew Jerry was going to beat the guy and the line was going to block the guy, so (we were) really just all in.”

Jeudy’s big day saw him reach another milestone as he became just the third Alabama receiver to reach the 1,000-yard milestone twice in his career. Jeudy finished the season with 1,164 receiving yards, a year removed from winning the Biletnikoff Award recording 1,315 yards through the air. The junior joined Amari Cooper (2012, 2014) and D.J. Hall (2006, 2007) as the only Crimson Tide players to accomplish the feat.

While Jeudy’s individual achievement was noteworthy, he also helped the Crimson Tide achieve something it had yet to do in school history. In reaching the 1,000-yard mark this year, Jeudy joins teammate DeVonta Smith (1,256 receiving yards) as the duo becomes the first pair of Alabama receivers to reach the mark in the same season.

“The thing I like about this group is, there's never a guy that has showed any signs of being selfish,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said. “These guys are all together. They work hard every day. They root for each other. Nobody gets upset if it's not their day to catch a bunch of balls. We had days where Smitty would catch nine balls and Jerry wouldn't catch very many. And the next time Jerry catches nine balls… And they all just always rooted for each other.

“And that's very unusual at this position because, to me, I don't mean to stereotype here, but those guys usually all want the ball. And they get a little bit upset when they don't get the ball. And this group has never been that way.”

It wasn’t all good news for Alabama receivers. Henry Ruggs III was slow to get up after falling hard to the ground while diving for a pass from Jones in the third quarter. The junior remained down for a few minutes before returning to his feet and walking to the sideline under the aide of trainers. Ruggs eventually made his way to the locker room and did not return to the game. He tallied two receptions for 27 yards on the afternoon.

Following the game, Saban provided an update on the injured receiver.

“Henry just hit his head on the turf, so he’s in concussion protocol,” Saban said. “We chose not to put him back in the game, which was a medical decision, as always. Hopefully, he’ll be OK.”

Hours after the game, Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa revealed he will announce his decision of whether to return to school or declare for the NFL Draft on Monday. The left-hander isn’t the only player pondering his future as fellow juniors including Jeudy, Ruggs, Smith, offensive linemen Jedrick Wills Jr. and Alex Leatherwood, safety Xavier McKinney and running back Najee Harris have all been mentioned as possible early-round picks.

There is a belief that Tagovailoa’s decision could spur other draft-eligible players to return to the Crimson Tide. However, following the Citrus Bowl, Smith said his future doesn’t hinge on what the quarterback chooses to do.

“Not at all,” Smith said. “I’m my own person, Tua’s his own person. He’s going to make the decision that’s best for him. I’m going to make the decision that’s best for me.”

Players have until Jan. 20 to decide whether or not they will declare for the draft or return to school. Unlike Tagovailoa, Smith did not reveal a date for his decision, only stating that he would make his choice “before the deadline.”

“Just putting me, myself and my family in the best decision that we think’s best for us,” Smith said. “... I don’t know what everybody else is thinking, I don’t know what everybody else’s decision is. You’ll just have to see.”

Earlier this week, junior linebacker Dylan Moses announced he will be returning to Alabama.

Alabama’s receivers generated most of the buzz from Wednesday’s Citrus Bowl. However, Jones also put up solid numbers, completing 16 of 25 passes for 327 yards and three touchdowns with a passer rating of 213.5. If Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t elect to return next season, Jones figures to be first in line to earn the starting spot behind center. The redshirt sophomore’s performance in the Citrus Bowl should only help his confidence heading into what could be an important offseason.

“I think the confidence just comes from reps at practice and the guys around me — the line making their calls and their blocks and the receivers making plays, running backs making plays,” Jones said. “It's really easier when you have the best players around you. Coach Saban always tells me, just do my job, get them the ball and they'll make the plays. So, I mean, looking forward, we have a good group. Like I said, we have a long offseason and a lot to work on, and I'm really fired up to keep working.”

Alabama was without its top defensive back as senior Trevon Diggs elected to sit out the Citrus Bowl in order to focus on his NFL future. Michigan didn’t waste any time trying to test the potential chink in the Crimson Tide’s armor.

During the opening drive of the game, Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson threw two passes in the direction of sophomore cornerback Josh Jobe only to see both balls hit the turf incomplete, leading to a three-and-out for the Wolverines.

“I knew Jobe was gonna hold his own,” defensive back Shyheim Carter said. “He’d been practicing great since we’ve been preparing for these guys, so I just knew he was going to hold his own… I told him before the game they were gonna try him early and he did a heck of a job defending those two passes.”

Jobe intercepted Patterson on the final play of the game. The sophomore also tallied six tackles and a pass breakup on the afternoon.

Three years ago, Michigan was chasing after Najee Harris’ signature as the former five-star back came close to signing with the Wolverines in the 2017 class. Wednesday, Michigan spent the afternoon chasing Harris on the field as he ran for 136 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries, an average of 5.4 yards per attempt.

Harris’ 9-yard touchdown run in the second quarter marked his seventh consecutive game with a rushing touchdown. The junior has found the end zone in one way or another in eight straight weeks. Wednesday marked his sixth 100-yard game of the season.

Through 13 games, Harris has 1,251 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground and another 304 yards and seven scores through the air. The Citrus Bowl might very well be his last time in a Crimson Tide uniform as the 6-foot-2, 230-pound back has seen his draft stock rise significantly this past year.

Alabama might be welcoming Moses back into the fold next season, but the Crimson Tide’s two freshman starters at inside linebacker held their own in the Citrus Bowl. Christian Harris and Shane Lee had nine tackles apiece as Harris had two stops for a loss and pass breakup while Lee registered a sack.

Earlier this week, Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding addressed the Crimson Tide’s “growing pains” this season as the team had to not only replace Moses but also redshirt senior Joshua McMillon as the pair of projected starters suffered season-ending knee injuries in fall camp. While Golding said “it wasn’t always perfect” at the position, he called Harris and Lee “extremely smart” while stating they prepared the right way.

Now with another year under their belts the freshman duo will rejoin Moses — and possibly McMillon — in what should be a much-improved linebacking unit next season.

After going all of 2019 without seeing an opponent miss a field goal, 2020 wasn’t any kinder to the Crimson Tide. Michigan kicker Quinn Nordin was perfect on all three of his field-goal attempts Wednesday, bringing Alabama’s opponents to a perfect 20-for-20 on the season.

The unlucky run culminated as Nordin nailed a career-long 57-yard field goal just before the half, setting a Citrus Bowl record in the process.

The Crimson Tide is one of just three teams that have yet to see their opponents miss a field goal. Clemson has seen its opponents go 12-for-12 while Colorado State has watched its foes convert all 15 of their tries.

Alabama replaced one walk-on punter with another as senior Mike Bernier stepped in for freshman Ty Perine. While the reason for the change is unknown, the move certainly worked as Bernier averaged 42.3 yards on his six attempts, booting two balls more than 50 yards while pinning Michigan inside the 20-yard line four times, including twice inside the 5-yard line.

Bernier, who averaged 38.04 yards on 25 punts last year, had yet to feature in a game for Alabama this season. Perine had become a fan favorite as he stepped onto the scene midway through this season, averaging 44.69 yards on his 13 punts.

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