What started off as a chaotic turnover fest for No. 11 Alabama turned into a defensive stalemate in the second half. Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, it was unable to put enough offense together and fell 19-13 to Michigan in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

The loss means Alabama (9-4) will finish a season with under 10 wins for the first time since 2007. Alabama’s atrocious start in the first half which included three first-quarter turnovers was too much for the Tide to overcome despite its defense holding Michigan to just one touchdown. The Wolverines stuck to their game plan and controlled the clock, while Alabama was unable to get into the end zone on its final drive and finished with just 260 total yards.

Scoring summary:

— Michigan Field goal: Dominic Zvada 45-yard field goal (7 plays, 17 yards, 4:01)

Michigan: 3, Alabama: 0 | 8:15

— Michigan Field goal: Dominic Zvada 30-yard field goal (4 plays, 7 yards, 2:18)

Michigan: 6, Alabama: 0 | 5:52

— Michigan touchdown: Fredrick Moore 13-yard touchdown catch (3 plays, 16 yards, 0:48)

Michigan: 13, Alabama: 0 | 4:15

— Michigan field goal: Dominic Zvada 21-yard field goal (4 plays, 3 yards, 2:04)

Michigan: 17, Alabama: 0 | 2:04

​​Key play: Jalen Milroe's interception

Milroe fell victim to the rainy conditions in Tampa, Florida, fumbling the snap on Alabama’s second possession of the game, which led to a Michigan field goal. Looking for a response, Milroe instead committed Alabama’s second of three turnovers in a disastrous first quarter. Dropping back to pass on second down from Alabama’s 15-yard line, Milroe’s throw was intercepted by Wesley Walker, setting up Michigan just 16 yards from the goal line. Michigan scored its first and only touchdown of the game three plays later when quarterback Davis Warren found Fredrick Moore on a nice pitch and catch from 13 yards out.

Milroe fumbled the ball again on the first play of Alabama’s ensuing possession which was the Tide’s third turnover in just four plays. The Wolverines added another field goal to punctuate one of the worst quarters by Alabama in recent memory.

Player of the quarter: Jihaad Campbell

For how bad it was, it could have been worse. Michigan could have easily been up 28-0 after the first quarter, with all of its drives starting in Alabama territory — three of Michigan’s four drives began inside the Tide's 20-yard line. Instead, the Wolverines only scored one touchdown, having to settle for field goals as Alabama’s defense stepped up with its back against the wall. Campbell led the effort with five tackles in the opening quarter and finished with 10 in the first half. The junior has been a standout for Alabama’s defense all year and was key in helping limit the damage Michigan inflicted off of Alabama’s turnovers. Defensive lineman Tim Smith also assisted in that effort when he sacked Warren on 3rd-and-2 from the Alabama 2-yard line, leading to a third field goal attempt at the end of the quarter.

Scoring summary:

— Alabama touchdown: Robbie Ouzts 25-yard touchdown catch (4 plays, 71 yards, 1:50)

Michigan: 16, Alabama: 7 | 4:06

– Alabama field goal: Graham Nicholson 24-yard field goal (8 plays, 90 yards, 0:54)

Michigan: 16, Alabama: 10 | 0:04

Key play: Elijah Pritchett fumble recovery

Alabama finally put a drive together, culminating in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Milroe to Ouzts, but the drive was nearly cut short by yet another Alabama turnover. After catching a short pass from Milroe, tight end CJ Dippre was stripped by Michigan’s Dominic Nichols. Alabama got some good fortune this time around, however, as a fortunate bounce off the turf saw the ball end up in Pitchett’s hands. Instead of a fourth Alabama turnover, Pritchett rumbled upfield for an additional eight yards. The Tide finally found the end zone for the first time two plays later.

Player of the quarter: Jalen Milroe

After a catastrophic first quarter, Milroe responded by bringing Alabama within one score by halftime. Alabama’s final two drives went a combined 11 plays for 161 yards and 10 points final two drives of the first half and Milroe made a few key plays as the Tide’s offense finally came to life. Milroe completed 4 of 8 passes for 77 yards and led Alabama 90 yards in just 54 seconds of game time on its final drive that included a 41-yard run and a 40-yard completion to Germie Bernard.

Scoring summary: No scoring

Key play: Zabien Brown's interception

After a wild first half, the third quarter was a stalemate until the final seconds when Alabama’s defense which had been preventing Michigan from getting much at all offensively, made a game-changing play. Freshman cornerback Zabien Brown made an excellent break on the ball to pick off Michigan backup quarterback Alex Orji. The Tide’s first forced turnover of the game set up Alabama’s offense on the 50-yard line in the dying embers of the quarter.

Player of the quarter: James Smith

Though it was negated by a sideline warning, freshman defensive tackle James Smith made his presence felt, sacking Warren for a 13-yard loss just one play after he blew up an attempted Michigan run play, busting through the Wolverines' offensive line for a 1-yard loss. Smith added a third tackle later in the quarter, showcasing the promising talent that Alabama will be hoping to unleash going forward. Smith was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023 out of Montgomery Carver (AL) High School.

Scoring summary:

— Michigan field goal: Dominic Zvada 37-yard field goal (9 plays, 47 yards, 5:17)

Michigan: 19, Alabama: 10 | 7:21

— Alabama field goal: Graham Nicholson 51-yard field goal (8 plays, 42 yards, 2:43)

Michigan: 19, Alabama: 13 | 4:38

Key play: Benjamin Hall first down pickup

Michigan’s key drive came with 12 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. By the end of it, the Wolverines had bled over five minutes off the clock and took a two-score lead. Alabama had a chance to make a stop on third-and-2 to get the ball back quickly. Instead, Michigan leaned on Hall and the sophomore running back picked up the yards and allowed Michigan to run five more plays before kicking a field goal to take a 19-10 lead.

Player of the quarter: Jordan Marshall

While it was Hill who picked up a key first down to keep Michigan’s drive alive, Michigan freshman running back Jordan Marshall carried the load in the fourth quarter. He ran the ball seven times for 41 yards in the final quarter and had four carries on the Wolverines' final scoring drive. While Alabama kept Marshall out of the end zone, the Tide had little answers for him on the ground. Marshall finished the game with 23 carries for 100 yards, helping Michigan manage the game and sustain its lead.