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ORLANDO, Fla. — The biggest challenge facing Michigan heading into the VRBO Citrus Bowl was how the defense would perform against the high-flying Alabama offense.
The Crimson Tide came into the game on Jan. 1 with the No. 6 offense — perhaps a bad omen for a Wolverines defense that’s struggled the past two years against the best offenses it’s faced.
But, for awhile, Michigan hung tough.
The maize and blue allowed 480 yards overall, which — yes — was the third worst performance of the season for the Wolverines. But it was also Alabama’s third-worst offensive attack of the year, and the Crimson Tide tied a season low, with just 35 points scored.
However, Michigan holds itself to a higher standard than that.
“We just gotta execute at a very high level,” Michigan linebacker Cam McGrone said. “Against a good team like this, you can’t make any mistakes. And we made too many today.”
However hopeless it might feel, given the seeming leveling off of the trajectory, McGrone left the VRBO Citrus Bowl with his head held high, considering how hard Michigan played to the end.
The score was closer than 35-16 suggests, as Alabama scored a touchdown as time had nearly expired. McGrone noted that it was ‘a smack in the face,’ but appreciated his teammates’ efforts to keep working as hard as they could.
For that reason, he came away from the game with some positives.
“Just the heart we have as a team,” McGrone said. “No matter how much we’re down, how much time is on the clock, we go full-speed every time, try to come back, try to get the offense the ball as a defense. So it’s just the heart we have. We can build on that with the talent we have and the skill that we have.”
Ultimately though, why does he feel like there’s hope out on the horizon, if there is any?
Michigan loses several players on defense: Lavert Hill, Josh Uche, Khaleke Hudson, Jordan Glasgow and Josh Metellus. Carlo Kemp could petition for a fifth-year, but it’s unknown whether or not he will.
Still, McGrone is confident in the defense’s future.
“I see it getting better,” McGrone said. “We had a bunch of dogs on the field this year, a bunch of seniors leaving, but we have a bunch of people coming back. And this freshman class coming in, they’re (going to work hard) to get on the field, so I’m excited to see what they can do.”
So who stands out in the next generation?
Coming out of bowl practices, McGrone didn’t hesitate to give an answer as to which singular player has been impressing him the most.
“(Defensive tackle) Chris Hinton – he definitely showed what he’s capable of,” McGrone said. “We got spring ball and summer camp coming up so I can’t wait to see what he can do.”