Capital One Bowl: Mich. vs. Fla
There's no doubt Michigan will play with Hart in the Capital One Bowl, and the Wolverines vow to play with their souls, too.
That's a promise from junior wide receiver Mario Manningham and echoed by senior tailback Mike Hart, who said coach Lloyd Carr's retirement will provide the Wolverines an extra measure of motivation when they face Florida on Tuesday.
"We know it's his last game and we want to send him out a winner," Manningham said. "We'll put our heart and soul into it."
This will be Carr's final game in his 13-year tenure at Michigan. He has 121 victories, five Big Ten championships and a share of the 1997 national title. He led the Wolverines to six 10-win seasons and is seventh among active coaches with a .752 winning percentage.
Yet despite trailing only Fielding Yost and Bo Schembechler for total wins at Michigan, Carr never really has been embraced by the Michigan masses. Critics have joked that "Lloyd" can't be spelled without two "L's" – i.e., losses.
Critics were on Carr to step down after last season, which ended with a third consecutive loss to Ohio State and a fourth consecutive bowl loss. But Carr returned this season. So did Hart, quarterback Chad Henne and All-American offensive tackle Jake Long, all of whom turned down early entrance into the NFL for one more try at a championship season.
"I figured this would be his last year," Hart said. "He came back because we came back."
Mike Huguenin's pick: Florida 31-24.
