Wilton Speight threw a pair of pick-sixes in Michigan’s dominating win against the Florida Gators 33-17.
So many questions were suggested before the beginning of the Wolverines season opener against the Gators in Arlington, Texas. In the dominating performance, all the questions seemed to be answered and the critics seemed to be silenced. Florida came into the game having suspended 10 players for Saturday’s game and it would have an impact throughout the game.
Florida would open the start of the game with freshman quarterback Filipe Franks, who would lead the Gators on its first drive of the day. The drive would stall and kicker Eddy Pineiro would make a 46-yard field goal to make it 3-0 Gators.
The Junior Speight would earn the start for the Wolverines and work methodically down the field. As the drive stalled, Coach Harbaugh would call on the coveted-kicker Quinn Nordin to tie the game up with a 25-yard field goal to tie the game 3-3.
Michigan’s young but aggressive defense would make it name for itself with another strong defensive scheme by making it difficult for the Florida offense to get in sync with one another.
On the Wolverines next drive, Speight would find freshman wideout Tarik Black for a 46-yard touchdown pass and catch to make it 10-3 Wolverines.
Speight would have two blemishes on his record on Saturday afternoon at that was his two pick sixes on back to back drives that gave the Gators a 17-10 lead. Harbaugh would pull Speight out and put John O’Korn into the game to possibly change up the pace and momentum of the offense. O’Korn would only be in the game for one drive during the first half.
Nordin would hit a 55-yard field goal for the Wolverines to make it 17-13 after the first half. It was definitely not the first half that Michigan faithful were expecting to see. Nordin would hit a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter that would make him the first Michigan kicker to do so in a game.
Michigan would get the ball to enter the second half and the physical offensive line of the Wolverines would show off their strength when Speight led them down the field and Karan Higdon scored on a 3-yard touchdown run.
The Gators put in graduate transfer Malik Zaire to give them experience behind center but the vaunted Michigan defense did not falter and didn’t allow any kind of comeback. Senior defensive end Chase Winovich would for a sack and fumble in the end zone to seal the Wolverines 33-17 victory.
Michigan now heads home to Ann Arbor to prepare for the Cincinnati Bearcats at the Big House. Kickoff will be at noon.
