Capital One Citrus Bowl musings: 2nd quarter Wolverines-Gators

As we start the 2nd quarter, the we see the game stats. They are damn close, save for penalties. Wolverines dominate that stat... But the Gators are doing their best to catch up, as they are flagged on their 1st 2 plays of the quarter.

After all the flag drama, the Gators end up 2nd and 17 from the Wolverines 18. sounds good, right?

Wrong. Tebow throws a bubble screen, Caldwell shakes a wannabe Wolverine tackler at the 20...Then sprints into the end zone untouched. FUCK! That's the Wolverines defense I expected to see. A step slow, slightly off kilter, and bouncing off the opposition with lame arm tackles.

14-7 Florida.

For some odd reason, the Gators dribble the kickoff short, and Michigan returns it back to their own 44. That was a Lions-esque move by the Gators.

Finally1 Henne completes a cross to Arrington, 1st down in Gator land! Michigan needs to score here, badly.

Nice play by Manningham! He takes a flanker screen that looked to be going nowhere, yet he danced his way for 10 yards!

Lloyd is pulling out the stops! A double reverse to Manningham! It gets all of 4 yards, but this is not your typical playcalling.

Beautiful pitch and catch between Henne and Manningham! 3rd and long, Henne drops in a prefect pass to Manningham inside the 10. 1st and goal!

Holy shit! A screen pass to a tackle eligible Jake Long? God damn it, Henne overthrew him! Holy mother of God, Lloyd is blowing out the playbook. He's going out with guns blazing! Screen passes to 330 lb tackles? Bo is spinning in his grave. Or laughing his ass off...

3rd and goal, and Michigan goes to their money player. They spread out the offense, Henne checks off, then just give the ball to Hart off tackle...Touchdown!

14-14, Wolverines lead!

Lead? Hell yes. The Wolverines were double digit dogs, for chrissakes! For Michigan to be tied in the 2nd quarter is almost a win in itself, considering what we all thought would happen...PAIN!

GOd DAMN IT! A handoff to the Gators Harvin wide left...Big hole...And he's gone! He almost outran the Michigan defender with the angle, but is drug down 66 yards later at the Michigan 14!

With Florida 1st and goal at the 3, Michigan calls their final time out of the half...With 8:33 left. Nice time management, guys...

As we go to commercial, ABC pimps a Rich Rodriguez interview "Coming right up!" Screw that! Hell, get him a fucking headset, and have him help with the defense!

Tebow fakes a draw, and finds a WIDE OPEN Harvin in the end zone. Christ, where's the D? FLAG! It's on the Gators! Michigan catches another break...

Tebow throws another TD pass, but it's dropped by a wide open Gator!

On 3rd and goal, Michigan brings EVERYONE! I think I even saw Lloyd rushing Tebow! And he's snowed under at the 20! SACK!

The Gators will try a short FG. BLOCKED! Michigan returns it to the 40! Fuck YES!

There's a personal foul on the Wolverines, but it's after the play. Michigan dodges not just a bullet, but a howitzer!

TE screen to Butler...He's got a BLOCK! Go you son of a bitch, GO! He's out of bounds at the Gator 4 yard line...YESYESYES!

God damn son of a bitch shit fuck! We've just witnessed history. Hart fumbles! I repeat, HART FUMBLES! His first drop in 3+ seasons and a 1002 touches. Gators ball at the 4. Damn.

Rodriguez is being interviewed, and it's nothing we fans haven't heard already. Lots of platitudes being said, and nothing but nice things about everyone and everybody. In other words, lots of coachspeak.

At least Michigan's D steps up, and holds Florida to a 3 and out. Big blue will start at their 48.

Well, the Big 10 loses another game. Wisky goes down to the Vols. Yes, I'm an unabashed Big 1o fan who hates seeing them lose in bole games...

It's a handoff to Manningham...He tosses it back to Henne...He's looking DEEP...PICK! Shitshitshit! Henne didn't throw a pass, that was a fucking punt. He just threw it up for grabs. Gator ball at the 1.

Does Lloyd have any trick plays left? He must have dug thru the bowels of Schembechler Hall looking for every and any oddball play he could find.

AWWW HELL! Michigan drops a sure pick! At least it was on 3rd and long, forcing a Florida punt.

Michigan is going no huddle with just over 2:00 left in the half. On 3rd and long, Henne throws a bullet to Manningham at the 50, 1st down!

Henne fires to Manningham again...FLAG! Pass interference on Florida! He was draped all over him...

ARRRGH. A Hart run, and an incompletion leave Michigan 3rd and 6 from the Gators 30. But Henne, with a very nice pass, hits Manningham on an out, 1st down! Under a minute left.

OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH! HELL YES! A diving catch by Arrington at the goal line...Touchdown Wolverines! Arrington laid out big time!

Damn it, booth review. Replays show Arrington might be down at the 6" line. And that's the call, 1st and goal Wolverines at the 1/2 yard line.

0:38 left, Wolverines with no time outs. Do they dare run the ball? Before we can find out, Florida calls time, lets everyone catch their breath. This has been one highly entertaining half of football...

Blackledge calls sneak...It is, but Henne fumbles the snap! Loss of half a yard. Shit!

Michigan doesn't clock it, it's a fade to Arrington...incomplete. 3rd down, 0:16 left.

Heene rolls right...Throws on the the run..It's Arrington with a step in the end zone...TOUCHDOWN! That's the Michigan I know and love!

21-14 Wolverines, 0:08 left in the half. Hell, I would have been thrilled if it was 21-14 Florida leading at the half. I wasn't expecting Michigan to play this well , considering everything that's happened in the last month, and their rather checkered history in defending the spread.

Florida takes a knee, and that's the half.

What? Lloyd's actually cordial to ABC's Holly Rowe during the post half interview? Who in the world is that nice guy in the Michigan cap? It sure as Hell isn't Lloyd!

At halftime in Lloyd's final game, it's 21-14 Michigan, I'm off to check out the outdoor NHL game...