Michigan 35, Alabama 34
MIAMI — Tom Brady threw for 369 yards, and Michigan beat Alabama by inches in Orange Bowl.
Brady threw four touchdown passes, including three to David Terrell, and the Wolverines won 35-34 in overtime Saturday night.
After Michigan's Shawn Thompson caught a 25-yard touchdown pass on the first play of overtime, Alabama scored on Andrew Zow's 21-yard pass to Antonio Carter. But Ryan Pflugner's extra-point kick was inches wide to the right.
"It was a great football game," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "It was a shame somebody had to lose. As much I enjoy winning, I hate to see it end the way it did, with a missed extra point."
The Wolverines won even though they lost a fumble at the Alabama 1 in the fourth quarter and had a 36-yard field goal attempt blocked to force the overtime.
Shaun Alexander, the Southeastern Conference player of the year, rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns in his final game for Alabama. His scores came on runs of 5, 6 and 50 yards, and teammate Freddie Milons scored on a 62-yard punt return.
The eighth-ranked Wolverines (10-2) managed just one first down in the opening 28 minutes but completed their third consecutive 10-win season. The Wolverines rallied from fourth-quarter deficits to win three times during the regular season.
"They've done that all year long," Carr said. "I'll be glad to get rid of them; I don't have much heart left."
The fifth-ranked Crimson Tide (10-3) lost in their 50th bowl game, an NCAA record.
The Wolverines' first six possessions produced just one first down, which came on a 5-yard gain on a fake punt. The offense finally mustered a first down with 1:18 left in the opening half, then scored two plays later on a 27-yard pass from Brady to Terrell.
The Wolverines erased deficits of 14-0 and 28-14 thanks to Terrell, who tied Orange Bowl and Michigan bowl records with three touchdown receptions. They covered 27, 57 and 20 yards from Brady.
Brady, who was 34-for-46, led Michigan to three touchdowns in a 12-minute span in the third period.
Phillip Weeks blocked a field-goal attempt by Hayden Epstein as time ran out in the fourth quarter, forcing the overtime. Earlier in the period, Anthony Thomas lost a fumble at the Alabama 1.
Attendance based on tickets sold was 70,461, but the actual crowd totaled only about 50,000. The no-shows missed a game filled with penalties and punts but also plenty of big plays and swings in momentum.
Alexander turned a third-and-1 run into a 50-yard touchdown, breaking three tackles to give Alabama a 21-14 lead in the third period. Less than three minutes later, Milons caught a 51-yard punt, weaved across the field and scored untouched to make the score 28-14.
The Wolverines made the score 14-all on their first series of the second half. Terrell caught a short pass from Brady, eluded cornerback Milo Lewis and sprinted the end zone, completing a 57-yard play.
Terrell beat Lewis again in the third period for a 20-yard score.
Alabama picked up only one first down in the opening period.