Michigan Monday: Game 13 vs. Florida (Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl)

#10/#10 Florida (9-3, 5-3 SEC) vs. #8/#8 Michigan (10-2, 8-1 Big Ten)

Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (73,272) • Atlanta, Ga.
Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018 • Noon ET
Television: ESPN
Radio: Michigan/IMG Sports Network

Monday, Dec. 24

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Season in Review (PDF)

Peach Bowl Press Conference (Dec. 9) | Watch

Inside Michigan Football Radio Show (Bowl Preview) | Listen

• This will be the fifth meeting between Michigan and Florida and the fourth matchup in a bowl game.
• U-M will be making its first appearance in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. It will be the 12th different bowl game that Michigan has played in all-time.
• U-M looks to capture 11 wins for the 10th time in school history.
• The Wolverines have secured three 10-win seasons in coach Jim Harbaugh's four years leading the program.
• Michigan leads the NCAA in total defense and is second in pass defense.
• U-M is fourth nationally in time of possession (34:46 avg. per game).

Wolverines and Gators

• This will be the fifth overall meeting between Michigan and Florida.
• The Wolverines have a 4-0 all-time record against the Gators, and head coach Jim Harbaugh is 2-0.
• In the only regular season matchup between the two schools, Michigan defeated Florida by a 33-17 score in the 2017 AdvoCare Classic at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
• The prior three games with the Gators were contested in bowl games, with the Wolverines posting victories in the 2003 Outback Bowl and the 2008 and 2016 Florida Citrus Bowl games.

Series vs. Florida: Michigan leads 4-0
Series Streak: Michigan won 4
Last Meeting vs. Florida: 2017 (W, 33-17)
Last Michigan Win: 2017 (33-17)

Michigan in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl

This will be the first-ever appearance in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl for Michigan. The Big Ten has played in the Peach Bowl on seven previous occasions, compiling a 2-5 record with all five setbacks coming by seven points or less. It will be the first time that a Big Ten team will play in the Peach Bowl since 1990, when Indiana suffered a 27-24 loss to Auburn. The only conference schools to play in the Peach Bowl are Illinois (1985), Indiana (1987, 1990), Iowa (1982, 1988) and Purdue (1978, 1984).

Television Coverage

ESPN will broadcast the game to a national audience. Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Brock Huard (color) and Allison Williams (sideline) will call the game.

Radio Stream

Michigan's Peach Bowl radio stream will be available only to users in the states of Michigan and Ohio. Outside of that area, the game will be available through ESPN Radio.

In the Polls

• Michigan heads into the bowl season listed No. 7 in the College Football Playoff rankings and No. 8 in the Associated Press media poll and the Amway Coaches poll.
• The Wolverines have been ranked in the top eight nationally for the past eight polls.
• U-M has a 3-2 record against ranked teams this fall, defeating No. 15 Wisconsin, No. 24 Michigan State and No. 14 Penn State while falling to No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 10 Ohio State.
• The last time that U-M beat three top 25 teams in the same season was 2005, and the last time it defeated three straight ranked opponents was 1997.
• Michigan began the season ranked 14th in both national polls.

Game Notes Nuggets

• The Wolverines had 47 players achieve Academic All-Big Ten honors this fall, including 15 players listed as the starter or backup at their respective position. During coach Jim Harbaugh's tenure (2015-18), Michigan has received 137 Academic All-Big Ten citations: 19 in 2015, 23 in 2016, 48 in 2017 and 47 in 2018.

• U-M will participate in a bowl game for the 47th time in school history. Michigan has compiled a 21-25 record in bowl games, listing 11th in the NCAA in appearances and 17th in victories.

• The Wolverines are seeking to become the 10th team in school history to secure at least 11 wins in a season. U-M has won 11 games on seven occasions, with the school-record 12 victories coming in the 1905 and 1997 seasons. The last time Michigan won 11 games was 2011, completing an 11-2 campaign with a victory in the Sugar Bowl.

• Michigan has two links to the Florida Gators in video coordinator Phil Bromley and defensive line coach Greg Mattison. A four-starter at UF, Bromley played center and anchored the offensive line from 1981-84 and was an All-SEC selection in 1983 and 1984. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in psychology (1985) and master's in education (1988). Mattison was the Gators' co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for three seasons (2005-07).

• This will be the 15th time that Michigan faces a Southeastern Conference school in a bowl game (8-6 record). Michigan will face an SEC school for the 36th time in school history (25-9-1 record). The most recent bowl matchup with the SEC came in the 2018 Outback Bowl, a 26-19 loss to South Carolina on New Year's Day.

Where Shea Patterson stacked up among the nation's QBs pic.twitter.com/uc5xD8EStq
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 24, 2018

• Six of the Wolverines' 12 regular-season opponents are heading into postseason bowl action this season. Notre Dame, Michigan's season-opening opponent, has qualified for the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Cotton Bowl. Five of Michigan's Big Ten opponents earned a bowl berth: Michigan State (Redbox), Northwestern (Holiday), Ohio State (Rose), Penn State (Citrus) and Wisconsin (Pinstripe). The Big Ten is sending nine teams into bowl competition this year.

• U-M ranks in the top 20 nationally in both scoring offense and defense, listing 19th in scoring offense at 36.8 points per contest and 12th in scoring defense at 17.6 points allowed. The Wolverines have outscored the opposition by a 442 to 211 margin this fall.

• Quarterback Shea Patterson was a third team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and received the team's 2018 Offensive Player of the Year award. He has completed 65.1 percent of his passes (188-of-289) for 2,364 yards and 21 TDs in 12 starts and has tossed three TDs against five opponents: WMU, SMU, Maryland, Rutgers and Ohio State.

• Junior offensive lineman Ben Bredeson leads the team with 32 starting assignments in his career. Senior defensive end Chase Winovich leads the defense with 27 career starts.

• The Wolverines lead the nation in total defense (262.5 avg.) and list second in pass defense (145.9 avg.). The defense has allowed 70 fewer yards than any team in the nation despite playing the 23rd toughest schedule in college football this fall. Michigan has 75 points off turnovers and leads all FBS teams with four pick-sixes.

• Linebacker Devin Bush was a consensus All-America selection, while defensive lineman Chase Winovich, defensive back Lavert Hill and punter Will Hart also received All-America recognition from various organizations. Bush was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and the Linebacker of the Year, and he was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Dick Butkus Award.