Sun Dec 30 11:20:41 2007

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Gators and Wolverines set for battle in Orlando

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Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - The Michigan Wolverines and the ninth-ranked Florida Gators will do battle on New Year's Day in the Capital One Bowl in sunny Orlando.

Michigan opened the season with back-to-back losses to Appalachian State and Oregon, but the squad rebounded for eight consecutive victories. Unfortunately, the final two games ended in defeat, as the Wolverines dropped double-digit decisions to Wisconsin and Ohio State. At 8-4, Michigan is set to play in its NCAA-leading 33rd consecutive bowl game. The club is making its fourth appearance in the Capital One Bowl, formerly the Citrus Bowl, and it owns a 2-1 mark at this event. Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr announced his retirement on November 19th and will coach his final game for the Wolverines here. Carr compiled a 121-40 record as the leader of program and will remain in a position with the athletic department. Taking over the reins of the program as the new head coach is Rich Rodriguez, who left his perch atop the West Virginia program. Rodriguez fired all of Carr's assistants recently, but decided to retain running backs coach Fred Jackson after the fact.

Florida is making its 17th straight bowl appearance, tops among SEC teams and third best in the nation. The Gators are 16-18 all-time in bowl games and are 2-2 in this particular game. Florida, the defending national champion, is led by coach Urban Meyer, and the team features an explosive offense to go along with an inexperienced and inconsistent defensive unit. The Gators are 9-3 overall, and the three losses to Auburn, LSU and Georgia came by a total of 19 points.

This game marks just the second all-time meeting between the Wolverines and Gators on the gridiron. The previous matchup came in the 2003 Outback Bowl and resulted in a 38-30 victory by Florida.

The Michigan offense is loaded with offensive stars. Quarterback Chad Henne, running back Mike Hart and wideout Mario Manningham have all had tremendous careers with Big Blue, and both Hart and Manningham have been named Second Team All-Americans. Jake Long, the team's stud offensive tackle, has been named a First Team All-American for the second straight year and figures to be one of the top players selected in the 2008 NFL Draft. Michigan is only averaging 26.1 ppg and 373.5 total ypg, lackluster numbers for a squad with such outstanding offensive talent. Henne has completed 57.3 percent of his passes for 1,565 yards and 14 touchdowns with seven interceptions, as he has battled through injury for much of the campaign. Hart, who has also been banged up and missed three games, still managed to run for 12 touchdowns and 1,232 yards in nine outings. Manningham is a big receiver with great speed, and he has made 67 catches for 1,096 yards and 11 scores.

Opponents are scoring 20.2 ppg against Michigan, which is allowing 330.4 total ypg. The Wolverines are giving up a rather high average of 150.8 rushing ypg, but foes are gaining a mere 3.8 yards per carry. The pass defense has been solid, as opposing quarterbacks have thrown only 11 touchdowns passes against 14 interceptions. With 32 sacks and 29 takeaways, Michigan has made a high number of impact plays. While there are a number of talented performers on the defensive side of the football for the Wolverines, Shawn Crable is clearly the best. A tremendously athletic linebacker with speed and power, Crable has racked up 84 total tackles, including a staggering 26.5 TFLs. Crable has 7.5 sacks to his credit and has forced four fumbles. Brandon Graham is one of the top pass rushers for the Wolverines, as he has registered 8.5 sacks.

Florida sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow became the first ever freshman or sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy after a brilliant 2007 regular season. Tebow also won the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien Awards recently and was named a First Team All-American. The versatile signal caller is the first quarterback in college football history to pass for 20 touchdowns while also rushing for 20 scores. He tied an NCAA single-season rushing touchdown record by a quarterback with 22, and that total is the best single-season mark by any player in SEC history regardless of position. Tebow has completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 3,132 yards and 29 scores against only six interceptions, and he has rushed for an additional 838 yards. There is no shortage of receiving options, as Bubba Caldwell, Percy Harvin and company are all capable of making plays. Florida is averaging 43.1 ppg to go along with 462.0 total ypg, and the offense has racked up 66 touchdowns.

Opponents are posting 24.2 ppg and 348.3 total ypg against Florida, which has been a bit inconsistent on defense this season. The inconsistency was expected, however, as only one starter is back from the unit that helped fuel the national championship run a year ago. Stopping the run has been an area of strength for the Gators, as they are limiting foes to 99.3 ypg and 3.0 ypc. Unfortunately, Florida hasn't been nearly as effective against the pass, as teams are gaining 249.0 yards per game through the air on 11.9 yards per completion. The Gators have allowed foes to score touchdowns on 55 percent of their trips to the red zone, a number that isn't exactly impressive. Brandon Spikes continues to lead Florida in tackles with 118, including 14 TFLs. He has clearly been the most active defender on the team, as the second-leading tackler on the roster has just 75 sacks.