Postgame Notes: #11 Michigan 33, #17 Florida 17
9/2/2017 7:37:00 PM | Football
• Michigan donned all-maize alternate jerseys for today's matchup. It was the first time U-M wore an all-maize uniform since 1928 against Navy.
• Today's attendance at AT&T Stadium was 75,802.
• With today's win, Michigan ended Florida's 27-year season-opener winning streak, which had been the longest active streak in the nation.
• Michigan played its first neutral-site opener since 2012, when it faced Alabama at this same venue in Arlington, Texas.
• Today's game marked the fourth meeting between Michigan and Florida, with the Wolverines improving to 4-0 all-time and 2-0 under J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Coach Jim Harbaugh.
• Michigan has now compiled a 25-8-1 mark against the Southeastern Conference all-time, including a 17-3-1 mark in regular-season games.
• Twenty Wolverines made their first career starts today on offense, defense and special teams. Kekoa Crawford is counted twice (once as a wide receiver and once as a kickoff return man), meaning 19 different players earned their first career start.
• In addition to the 19 individuals who were first-time starters, seven non-starting Wolverines made their career debuts: Ben Mason, Josh Ross, Aubrey Solomon, Benjamin St-Juste, Andrew Stueber, Ambry Thomas and J'Marick Woods. In all, 14 individuals made career debuts.
• The following individuals were first-time starters on defense: Devin Bush (LB), Rashan Gary (DE), Devin Gil (LB), Lavert Hill (CB), Khaleke Hudson (LB), Tyree Kinnel (S), David Long (CB).
• The following individuals were first-time starters on offense: Tarik Black (WR), Kekoa Crawford (WR), Michael Onwenu (G), Nolan Ulizio (T) and Tyrone Wheatley (TE). For Chris Evans (RB) and Patrick Kugler (C), it was their first career starts at their respective positions.
• Camaron Cheeseman (LS), James Foug (kickoffs), Will Hart (punter) and Quinn Nordin (placekicker) also earned their first career starts on special teams, along with first-time returners Kekoa Crawford (kickoffs) and Donovan Peoples-Jones (punt).
• U-M was successful in its red zone opportunities, converting three of four possessions with successful scores.
• Wilton Speight started at quarterback for the Wolverines for the second season in a row. He completed 11 of 25 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown. His audible call in the first quarter sprung Ty Isaac for a 36-yard run on third-and-13 to set up Michigan's first score of the game.
• John O'Korn also saw action at QB, completing his only pass attempt for 37 yards and setting up a field goal.
• Tarik Black's first career reception was a 46-yard touchdown from the hand of Wilton Speight. Black finished the day with two receptions for 83 yards.
• Running back Ty Isaac recorded his first 100-yard rushing game since he had 115 yards on eight carries against UNLV on Sept. 19, 2015. Isaac finished with 114 yards, one shy of his career high, on 11 carries.
• The Michigan defense, despite replacing 10 starters from 2016, held Florida to just 2-of-13 on third-down conversion attempts and nine first downs.
• The defense logged 11 tackles for a loss including six sacks in the game with three forced fumbles (one recovered for a touchdown), while the special teams unit forced a fourth fumble to set up another Michigan score.
• Nine different players combined on the 11 tackles for a loss.
• In the fourth quarter, Chase Winovich had his second career forced fumble which led to a Noah Furbush recovery in the end zone for a touchdown. It was Furbush's first career fumble recovery.
• Devin Bush led the defense with seven tackles, five solo, including three tackles for a loss and two sacks.
• True freshman defensive back Ambry Thomas stripped the ball and recovered the fumble on kickoff coverage, giving Michigan the ball in the red zone at 11:47 in the third quarter and earning his first career fumble recovery.
• Josh Metellus also forced a fumble at 10:09 in the third quarter, recovered by Lawrence Marshall. It was the first career forced fumble for Metellus and the first career recovery for Marshall.
• Kicker Quinn Nordin became the first kicker in Michigan history with two successful conversions of field goals 50 yards or longer (50, 55) in the same game. Just one game into his career, Nordin his tied for third in program history for most attempts made at 50 yards or more.
• Nordin successfully hit his first career field goal attempt, a 25-yarder at 5:27 of the first quarter. He finished 4-of-6 on the day and successfully converting three PATs.
• Nordin's successful 55-yard field goal with 4:20 remaining in the second quarter marked the longest made field goal in a collegiate game at AT&T Stadium.
• Tight end Nick Eubanks made his first career catch, a 13-yard reception. He added a career-long 48-yard catch in the fourth quarter.
• With 61 players having had game experience prior to today's game and 14 making their debuts, 75 different Wolverines will have played at least one snap heading into next weekend's home opener against Cincinnati (Sept. 9).
• Tom Kartsotis, the founder of the brand management and investment firm Bedrock Manufacturing of Plano, was the Wolverines' honorary captain for today's game. He is currently the owner of the Shinola Company based out of Detroit, Michigan.
