College Football Old School Game of The Week: Michigan Gives Carr Win in Final Game

Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr is carried on the shoulders of his players after the Wolverines upset the Florida Gators in the 2008 Capital One Bowl.

Lloyd Carr was not expected to be the head coach of the Michigan Wolverines football team, but on May 13, 1995, the man who had been an assistant at Michigan for 15 years and the defensive coordinator for the previous eight seasons, was named interim head coach when his boss, head coach Gary Moeller, resigned following his arrest for a drunken outburst at a bar.
In his first game, Carr's Wolverines came back from a 17-0 4th quarter deficit to defeat the Virginia Cavaliers 18-17, with quarterback Scott Driesbach throwing the game-winning touchdown pass to Mercury Hayes on the final play of the game.

Carr admits even Michigan had lost that game he never would have been named the permanent head coach which he was named on November 13, 1995.
Carr continued the success at Michigan that his former boss, the legendary Bo Schembechler and predecessor Moeller had had, as Carr would lead Michigan to 121 wins in 13 seasons, including winning a least a share of five Big 10 titles, taking the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl four times, and winning the AP national championship in 1997.
But following a disappointing 8-4 season in 2007 which including the Wolverines' humiliating season opening loss to Division I-AA Appalachian State and a 14-9 defeat to rival Ohio State in the regular season finale, the program's sixth loss to the Buckeyes in seven years, there are growing callas amongst fans of "Big Blue" for Carr to go.
Two days following the defeat to Ohio State, Carr announced he would be stepping down as Michigan's head coach following their bowl game, which turned out to be the Capital One Bowl at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando on New Year's Day.
The Wolverines' opponent that day would be the Florida Gators, who entered the game ranked #9 in the country despite a 9-3 record as their three losses were by a combined 19 points(20-17 to Auburn, 28-24 to LSU, and 42-30 to Georgia).
The Gators were led by head coach Urban Meyer, who had directed Florida to the national championship one year prior, and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow at quarterback, who entered the bowl game having accounted for nearly 4,000 yards of total offense and 51 touchdowns(29 passing, 22 rushing).
Playing just almost two hours away from their campus in Gainesville and with Tebow at quarterback, the Gators were excepted to knock off the Wolverines and spoil Carr's chance at getting a fairy tale ending to his career.
The Wolverines got the ball to start the game and drove 93 yards in 12 plays, which included this spectacular behind-the-back catch by Adrian Arrington on the third play of the drive.

The drive culminated with a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Chad Henne to wide receiver Mario Manningham, one play after Henne was called for intentional grounding, as Michigan took a 7-0 lead four minutes into the game.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Gators were going to great field position as Michigan kicker Bryan Wright pooched kicked the kickoff, keeping it away from the dangerous Percy Harvin, but disaster almost struck as tight end Aaron Hernandez fumbled the kick, only to recover it to give Florida the ball at their own 42-yard-line.
From there, Tebow guided the Gator offense to the Michigan 32-yard-line where kicker Joey Iljas was set up with a 49-yard field goal attempt, only to have the kick go wide right, keeping it a 7-0 game in favor of the Wolverines.
The Florida defense forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at their 41-yard-line following a 18-yard punt return by Brandon James.
Tebow would get the drive started with a 19-yard run and end it with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Harvin that with the extra point tied the game 7-7 with 2:37 left in the first quarter.
The Florida defense would force another three-and-out and were in prime position to take the lead after James returned the ensuing punt 23 yards that with a 15-yard penalty on the Wolverines put the Gators at the Michigan 29-yard-line.
Three plays later, the Gators were back in the end zone as Tebow threw a 18-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell to give Florida a 14-7 lead, 12 seconds into the second quarter.

2007 Heisman Trophy Winner Tim Tebow would account for four of the Gators' five touchdowns in the 2008 Capital One Bowl.

The Wolverines would respond with a 12-play, 56-yard touchdown drive, with Henne completing four of seven passes for 46 yards on the drive as the senior quarterback rushed for the game-tying touchdown from three yards out to tie the game 14-14 with under 10 minutes to play in the second quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Wright decided to keep deep and got a touchback, but it was all for naught as Harvin would run for 66 yards on the next play from scrimmage as the Gators had a 1st-and-goal the Michigan three-yard-line when Carr called timeout to have his defense regroup.
The timeout worked as not only the Michigan defense held the Gators out of the end zone, but pushed them back to the 17-yard-line following a sack of Tebow by senior defensive back Jamar Adams.
It got better for the Wolverines as Iljas' 35-yard field goal attempt was blocked by defensive tackle Terrance Taylor, giving Michigan the ball at their 24-yard-line.
Following a seven-yard run by Manningham, Henne connected with Carson Butler for a 65-yard pass play that had the Wolverines in business with a 1st-and-goal at the Florida four-yard-line.
But on the very next play, running back Mike Hart fumbled the ball after a hit by Gators defensive end Justin Trottou, which was recovered by linebacker Brandon Spikes at the four-yard-line.
The Gators would go three-and-out, giving the ball back to Michigan, who took over at their own 48-yard-line, only to turn it over for the second straight drive, as Henne on a deep pass by Florida free safety Major Wright at the Gators' one-yard-line.
The Gators were able to get out from near their end zone to drive 20 yards before punting the ball back to Michigan, who took over at their 38-yard-line with 2:39 before halftime.
That is when Henne went to work again as he completed three passes for 45 yards to give Michigan a 1st-and-goal at the Florida one-yard-line with 38 seconds left in the half and the Wolverines poised to take the lead.
However, disaster nearly struck on 1st down as Henne tried to sneak it in for the touchdown, only to fumble the football, which the quarterback recovered.
Following an incomplete pass on 2nd down, the Wolverines had time for one play before having to settle for a field goal.
They wouldn't need to settle for the kick as Henne threw a one-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Arrington with eight seconds left, giving the Wolverines a 21-14 lead as the first half came to a close.

In his final game, Michigan senior quarterback Chad Henne would go 25-of-39 for 373 yards and throw three touchdown passes.

The Gators were set to receive the ball to start the ball to start the second half, but no one on the Florida special teams unit was able to field the squib kick by Wright and when Michigan's Bryan Wright recovered the kick, the Wolverines had the ball at the Florida 37-yard-line.
Seven plays later, Michigan was back in the end zone as Hart punched it in from one yard out to extend the Wolverines' lead to 28-14, just 2:10 into the second half.
The Gators would respond with a 10-play, 56-yard touchdown run that ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Tebow to cut the deficit in half to 28-21 midway through the third quarter.
Michigan got the ball back at their 33-yard-line and proceeded to drive to the Florida six-yard-line on the right arm of Henne as he completed three passes for 47 yards.
But once again, Hart fumbled the football, as he was lost the ball when he was stretching out for the touchdown.
The loose ball went into the end zone which was recovered by Wright for a touchback, leading to the Gators' eight-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Tebow to Caldwell that with Iljas' extra point tied the game at 28 with 1:26 left in the third quarter.
The Wolverines took over at their 30-yard-line as the Wolverine offense drove to the Florida 15-yard-line until a clipping penalty help kill the drive and force a 37-yard field goal attempt by K.C. Lopata.
But Lopata's kick was good and the Wolverines had the lead once again, 31-28 with 12:16 left in the fourth quarter.
After the Michigan defense forced a three-and-out, the Wolverines got the ball at their 26-yard-line and drove 21 yards until Henne was picked off by Florida's Mike Pouncey, who had been inserted into the defensive line after several injuries, and returned it nine yards to the Michigan 34-yard-line.
Five plays later, Tebow connected with Harvin for a 10-yard touchdown to give the Gators their first lead of the game, 35-31 with 5:49 left in regulation.
Following a 15-yard return by Brandon Minor on the ensuing kickoff, the Wolverines had the ball at their own 33-yard-line.
Henne would connect with Greg Matthews for six yard on 1st down, then found Arrington again, who made another highlight catch, when he caught the ball with one arm, for a 37-yard-gain, to give Michigan a 1st down at the Florida 24-yard-line.

Then after a six-yard run by Hart, Arrington would strike again, this time catching Henne's pass up the middle for the go-ahead touchdown as Michigan retook the lead 38-35 with 4:12 to play in regulation.
After a touchback on the ensuing kickoff, the Gators took over at their 20-yard-line and only got six yards on three plays, presumably forcing a punt with 2:47 to go and the Gators with all three timeouts remaining.
However, Meyer decided to gamble and go for the 1st down, but it backfired as Tebow's pass fell incomplete giving the ball back to Michigan at the Florida 26-yard-line with 2:42 left and a chance to ice the game.
The Florida defense would rise to the occasion as they did not permit a 1st down as Michigan ran the ball three straight times, forcing the Gators to burn their timeouts, and settle for a 41-yard field goal by Kopata to extend the lead to 41-35 with 2:21 left in the game.

Michigan wide receiver Adrian Arrington stole the show with some spectacular catches as he caught nine passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

James returned the ensuing kickoff 23 yards to give Tebow and the Gators the ball at their 23-yard-line, needing a touchdown and an extra point to win.
But Tebow threw four straight incomplete passes, giving the ball back to Michigan, where Henne took a knee three times to run out the clock and give Lloyd his 122nd and final victory as the Wolverines upset the Gators 41-35.
Tebow and the Gators would rebound the following season as they won their second national championship in three seasons, then went 13-1 the following season which ended with a 51-24 rout over the University of Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl as Tebow went 31-of-35 for 482 yards in his final game as the Gators quarterback.
One year later, Meyer would step down as the Gators' head coach, only to return in 2012 as the head coach at Ohio State.
As for Michigan, they would go into a downward spiral following Carr's retirement as the program would go into mediocrity as the Wolverines would go lose more games over the next seven years then they did Carr's 13-year tenure as Michigan head coach as the program went 46-42 and had three losing seasons under the combined leadership of head coaches Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke.
The program seems back on track now with Jim Harbaugh as head coach as he has put together back-to-back 10 win seasons in Ann Arbor.
As for Carr, he would be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011 and currently serves as a member of the College Football Playoff Committee.