Michigan vs. FSU: Score and Reaction for 2016 Orange Bowl

The No. 11 Florida State Seminoles didn't find a way to sneak into the College Football Playoff, but they finished their season in style with a dramatic 33-32 win over the No. 6 Michigan Wolverines in the Orange Bowl on Friday night.  

The triumph—which came at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami—represented Florida State's first in a bowl since the 2013 season when the Seminoles defeated the Auburn Tigers in the BCS National Championship Game. It was also FSU's second Orange Bowl win since the 2012 season. 

In a game that represented a back-and-forth heavyweight prize fight, the Seminoles were able to land the final haymaker when quarterback Deondre Francois (9-of-27, 222 YDS, 2 TDs) connected with Nyqwan Murray on a 12-yard touchdown pass with 36 seconds to go in regulation, as ACC Digital Network showed: 

Michigan blocked the ensuing extra point and returned it to the end zone to pull within one, but the Seminoles squashed Michigan's last-gasp attempt, as the Wolverines turned the ball over on downs.

However, Michigan deserves significant credit for the way it responded. 

The Wolverines trailed by 12 points with six minutes remaining in regulation, and a 15-point spurt in a three-minute, 25-second span propelled them back in front with 1:57 to go in the fourth quarter after Chris Evans took a carry 30 yards to the house. 

Michigan fell into a hole by struggling to defend Florida State's most dynamic player. Seminoles running back and Todd Gurley-approved Orange Bowl MVP Dalvin Cook gashed the Wolverines for 207 all-purpose yards and a score: 

Michigan was without safety and do-it-all playmaker Jabrill Peppers after he suffered an injury in practice, according to the team's official Twitter account, and his absence loomed large throughout the first half. 

The Seminoles burst out of the gate with loads of energy, and they mounted a 17-3 lead by the time the first quarter was over after Francois hit Murray for a 92-yard touchdown. The deep scoring strike represented the longest touchdown pass in Orange Bowl history, according to ESPN Stats & Info. 

Florida State continued to sit on a comfortable lead throughout the remainder of the first half, and it helped that Michigan's offense looked frazzled against the Seminoles' swarming defense, as SB Nation's Ryan Nanni observed: 

The Wolverines settled for field goals on their first three scoring drives of the game, and they trailed by 11 points midway through the third quarter when they tacked on a 37-yard field goal. 

Speaking of the third quarter, Florida State's offense stagnated in a major way as Michigan's defense started to rise to the occasion. 

And while the Wolverines looked like they wouldn't be able to find the end zone, a costly mistake from Francois resulted in a 14-yard Mike McCray pick-six that trimmed the deficit to five points, as ESPN CollegeFootball on Twitter documented: 

The Seminoles were in serious danger of coughing up the lead when they faced a 3rd-and-22 at the start of the fourth quarter, but a 71-yard scamper by Cook set the 'Noles up for a Francois rushing score that gave them cushion.  

After Florida State went up by 12, Tomahawk Nation's Andrew Miller broke down the difference in effectiveness between the two offenses: 

But just when it looked like the Wolverines were dead in the water, they came alive.

Quarterback Wilton Speight (21-of-38, 168 yards) orchestrated a seven-play, 37-yard scoring drive that resulted in a Khalid Hill receiving touchdown, and the floodgates started to open with Florida State's offense sputtering. 

Evans' 30-yard run gave the Wolverines a brief glimmer of hope, but FSU's resilience in the face of adversity propelled it to a signature win. 

As a result, Michigan finished 2016 with three losses by a combined five points. That is disappointing for a team that was on the cusp of the College Football Playoff all year long, but the Wolverines shouldn't be ashamed with the way they competed down the stretch in a fierce battle. 

Postgame Reaction

"Nothing comes easy," Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher said, per the Orlando Sentinel's Safid Deen. "And we didn't make it easy."

As for Cook, the electric tailback told reporters he's yet to make a call regarding his future. 

"I still haven't made my decision yet," he said, per Deen. "I'm going to celebrate with my team tonight."

At Michigan's podium, Harbaugh explained why Peppers wasn't able to suit up, according to the Detroit News' Angelique Chengelis: 

In the locker room, the Detroit Free Press' Mark Snyder snapped a photo of Peppers in tears discussing his inability to suit up: 

"

Peppers in tears not being able to play. Said another day would have made a huge difference. pic.twitter.com/oDFxTd3wda

— Mark Snyder (@Mark__Snyder) December 31, 2016"

"The fact [t]hat you know you could impact a one point game, it just sucks," Peppers said, per Snyder. 

As for tight end Jake Butt—who left in the second quarter with an apparent leg ailment—Harbaugh said the senior suffered either an MCL or ACL injury, according to the Toledo Blade's Kyle Rowland. 

After the loss, Butt tweeted that he didn't regret suiting up even though the injury could hurt his draft stock in the coming months: 

"It was a great game," Harbaugh concluded, per the Palm Beach Post's Matt Porter. "Both teams were a credit to football."