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Carr coaches last game at Michigan vs. Tebow, Florida

Jan 1, 2008 - 2:27 PM Michigan (8-4) vs. No. 9 Florida (9-3) 1:00 pm EST Capital One Bowl January 1

ORLANDO, Florida (Ticker) -- Lloyd Carr will have to beat the reigning Heisman Trophy winner if he wants to end his career at Michigan on a winning note.

Carr will coach the final game in his 13-year tenure at Michigan on New Year's Day, when the Wolverines face Heisman winner Tim Tebow and ninth-ranked Florida in the Capital One Bowl.

The third-winningest coach in Michigan history, Carr announced his resignation on November 19, two days after the Wolverines suffered their fourth straight loss to hated rival Ohio State.

Carr, 62, posted a 121-40 record, guiding the Wolverines to a share of the national championship in 1997 and to a share of at least five Big Ten Conference titles.

But despite all his success, Carr came under harsh criticism in recent years for his inability to beat Ohio State or win other big games.

Michigan has lost four straight games against Ohio State, matching its longest losing streak in the storied series. Carr also became the first coach in school history to lose six times in seven years in the rivalry.

The Wolverines also have endured well-chronicled postseason struggles under Carr, losing each of their last four bowl games. He was 5-7 in his career in bowls, including a 1-3 mark in the Rose Bowl.

Carr eventually will be replaced by former West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, who accepted the Michigan job on December 16.

Carr's job security once came into question when the Wolverines, who opened the season ranked fifth in the country, started the campaign with consecutive home losses to Appalachian State and Oregon.

The shocking setback to Appalachian State made Michigan the first ranked team to lose to a team from the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly Division I-AA. That also led to an unprecedented fall out of the national rankings.

A week after the Appalachian State debacle, Michigan endured a 39-7 loss to Oregon, marking the Wolverines' worst home loss since 1968.

It also marked the first time Michigan started a season with back-to-back home losses since 1959, putt Carr squarely on the coaching hot seat.

But speculation regarding Carr's job status died down September 15 when the Wolverines posted a 38-0 rout of rival Notre Dame, a victory which jump-started an eight-game winning streak and vaulted Michigan back into the national rankings.

Michigan, which ended the regular season with consecutive losses, finished 6-2 in Big Ten play.

The Capital One Bowl also will mark the Michigan finales for quarterback Chad Henne, running back Mike Hart and tackle Jake Long - all seniors who opted against leaving school early for the NFL.

While the senior trio's collegiate days are all but over, Tebow still will have at least one season left in Gainesville.

After enjoying a record-breaking season in his first year as the Gators' starting quarterback, Tebow made more history December 8, when he became the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman.

Since the inaugural Heisman was presented to Chicago quarterback Jay Berwanger in 1935, the previous 71 winners of the famed trophy had been seniors or juniors.

But Tebow broke that trend this year after becoming the first player in major college history to pass for 20 touchdowns (29) and rush for 20 scores (22) in the same season.

Tebow completed over 68 percent of his passes this season for 3,132 yards, serving as the engine of a Florida (9-3) offense which led the Southeastern Conference in scoring and total yardage.

The 235-pound Tebow set an SEC record with his 51 total touchdowns. The southpaw's 22 rushing TDs also set a new conference record and established an all-time NCAA mark for quarterbacks.

The defending national champion, Florida went 5-3 in SEC play, losing by a combined total of 19 points in its three defeats.

The Gators have beaten Big Ten teams in each of their last two postseason appearances, routing Ohio State in last year's BCS title game and edging Iowa in the 2006 Outback Bowl.