OUTBACK BOWL Questionable calls cost Florida

A horrible pass on a reverse ended the Gators' fourth-quarter comeback hopes in a 38-30 loss to Michigan.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Trick plays that take the ball out of the hands of one of the nation's best quarterbacks are not what critics had in mind when they said Florida coach Ron Zook needs to be more imaginative on offense.
Especially with a game on the line.
Several questionable decisions by the Gators' rookie coach contributed to a 38-30 loss to No. 12 Michigan on Wednesday in the Outback Bowl.
None played a bigger role than the surprise call that killed a potential tying drive with a minute left.
Rex Grossman threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns in what might have been his last game for Florida.
But on the game's key play he was running a pass pattern, not dropping back into the pocket to throw.
Instead, freshman cornerback-turned-receiver Vernell Brown took the ball on a reverse and, under heavy pressure, lobbed a terrible pass that was intercepted by Victor Hobson to seal Michigan's victory.
"We had been getting nearly all man coverage that whole series, and Rex was going to be open," Zook explained. "When you're in man coverage you don't account for the quarterback, and at that point in time I felt like it was a good opportunity to do it."
Grossman, a junior who hasn't decided if he'll return for his senior year, was the intended receiver.
"It works everyday in practice, but it is usually thrown a little bit quicker," last year's Heisman Trophy runner-up said.
"Any time you do a risky call, it can go both ways."
Wolverines have 10 wins
The victory enabled Michigan (10-3) to finish with at least 10 wins for the fourth time in eight years under coach Lloyd Carr.
Florida (8-5) hit the five-loss mark for the first time since 1989, the year before Steve Spurrier took over the program and led it to national prominence.
"We gave everybody a preview of what to expect for next year," said Michigan tailback Chris Perry, who accounted for 193 yards -- 85 rushing and 108 receiving -- and scored a team bowl-record four touchdowns.
The performance capped a year in which Perry rushed for 1,110 yards in his first full season as Michigan's feature back.
His career has been spotty -- filled with good games, signs of huge potential and the criticism that has come when he hasn't fulfilled it.
"When you're at Michigan, if you're a tailback or quarterback, for some people you're just never good enough," Carr said. "But Chris Perry is good enough for me. He's good enough for our team."
Perry's last two touchdowns lifted the Wolverines from a two-point deficit to a 35-23 lead in the third quarter.
Florida pulled within five on Grossman's TD pass to Aaron Walker, and drove from its own 27 to the Michigan 27 before the trick play doomed its comeback bid.