2003 Outback Bowl

(8–4)

(9–3)

Head coach:
Ron Zook

Head coach:
Lloyd Carr

AP	Coaches	BCS
22	20	NR

AP	Coaches	BCS
12	11	11

	1	2	3	4	Total
Florida	0	16	7	7	30
Michigan	7	14	14	3	38

Date

January 1, 2003

Season

2002

Stadium

Raymond James Stadium

Location

Tampa, Florida

MVP

Chris Perry (Michigan RB)

Attendance

65,101

United States TV coverage

Network

ESPN

Announcers

Dave Barnett, Mike Golic, Bill Curry, Michele Tafoya

Outback Bowl
< 2002	2004 >

The 2003 Outback Bowl was a college football bowl game held on January 1, 2003 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The Michigan Wolverines, third-place finishers in the Big Ten Conference, defeated the Florida Gators, who finished second the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference, 38-30. Michigan running back Chris Perry was named the game's MVP.

Michigan got on the board first after a 4-yard touchdown run by Chris Perry to open up a 7-0 lead. In the second quarter, Florida running back Earnest Graham scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7. Later in the second quarter, Graham scored again on a 1-yard run, but a two-point conversion attempt by Ran Carthon failed. Florida led 13-7. Chris Perry scored again on a 1-yard run to give Michigan a 14-13 lead. Florida kicker Matt Leach connected on a 29-yard field goal to retake the lead for the Gators, 16-14. John Navarre threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Ronald Bellamy to give Michigan a 21-16 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Florida quarterback Rex Grossman threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keiwan Ratliff to put Florida up 23-21. Michigan answered with two more touchdown runs by Chris Perry, from 7 and 12 yards out, to lead 35-23. In the fourth quarter, Grossman found wide receiver Aaron Walker for a 3-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 35-30. Adam Finley connected on a 33-yard field goal to increase Michigan's lead to 38-30, which held up as the final score.

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Wikipedia