U of M Looses Big In Bowl Game
The hot seat just got red hot for Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez after his Wolverines were blown out by Mississippi State 52-14 in the Gator Bowl Saturday in Florida.
Mississippi State QB Chris Relf threw three touchdown passes and Vick Ballard ran for three scores in Bulldogs win over the Wolverines.
The 38-point drubbing was the worst bowl loss in Michigan's storied history and may have sealed the fate of Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez. His three-year tenure has been tainted by consecutive losing seasons, NCAA sanctions and late-season slides.
Michigan (7-6) was out of this game early, done in again by a defense that made a middle-of-the-pack Southeastern Conference offense look like a juggernaut.
Relf and Ballard posed problems all day. Relf completed 18 of 23 passes for 281 yards, and added 49 yards on the ground. Ballard ran for 77 yards. The Bulldogs (9-4) finished with 485 yards and punted twice.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
