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‘Not my best game’: Shea Patterson not pleased with performance against Alabama in Citrus Bowl
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For the first thirty minutes of the Citrus Bowl, Michigan looked like a team on a mission. The defense was playing stingy and the offense was taking advantage of what Alabama was giving it. Although the Wolverines struggled to turn possessions into touchdowns early on, Michigan still looked like it belonged in Orlando.
Alabama didn’t exactly pull away in the second half, but did outscore Michigan 21-0 in the final two quarters to post a 35-16 victory in the Citrus Bowl. One of those touchdowns came with 26 seconds remaining in the game.
It was a disappointing end to the season, especially considering how well Michigan played in the first two quarters. And after the game, senior quarterback Shea Patterson admitted that he wasn’t too thrilled with his final performance in a Michigan uniform.
“I missed a few throws, and I thought I could have calmed my feet down early on in the first and second drive,” said Patterson, according to MLive.com. “I felt like I didn’t make enough plays. Yeah, not my best game.”
Patterson finished the afternoon completing just 17-of-37 passes for 233 yards and a touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions in the loss.
Through the final stretch of Michigan’s season, Patterson had been playing well. He was the engine behind a four-game winning streak that included wins over No. 8 Notre Dame, Maryland, Michigan State and Indiana. But he needed a lights-out performance for Michigan to knock off Alabama on New Year’s Day.
In the end, he and the offense couldn’t make enough plays.
“We played them well in the first half,” Patterson said. “Quinn (Nordin) came in and and kicked the ball really well. Our defense played lights out. It’s a tough one. Alabama’s a great team; they have a lot of great players. But yeah, just didn’t do enough to win.”
Michigan ends the season one victory short of a double-digit win season, finishing with a 9-4 mark. It was also the fourth-straight bowl loss for the Wolverines under head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Patterson ended the season with 3,061 yards and 23 touchdowns through the air.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB