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ORLANDO, Fla. — Texas beat Michigan 41-27 in a Citrus Bowl matchup between teams trying to set the table for 2026.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning capped his late-season surge by completing 21 of 34 passes for 221 yards and rushing for 155 yards and two touchdowns. After a rough start to the season, Manning led the No. 13 Longhorns (10-3) to seven wins in their final eight games, capped by the bowl victory.
With new Wolverines coach Kyle Whittingham looking on, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood went 23 of 42 for 199 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Michigan (9-4) hired Whittingham on Friday to replace Sherrone Moore, who was fired Dec. 10 for engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and arrested following an incident later that day. Biff Poggi was Michigan’s interim coach in the bowl game.
Here are our takeaways.
Manning wins the QB duel
Much of the pregame build-up was about the quarterbacks. After dueling for three quarters, Underwood and Manning went in drastically different directions in the fourth quarter.
Manning made his best plays late in the game, including a 60-yard touchdown run and a 30-yard touchdown pass that he floated perfectly over the shoulder of receiver Kaliq Lockett. Manning didn’t have a huge day throwing the ball, but his ability to scramble was the difference in the game.
“Arch is an exceptional player,” Poggi said. “He made some throws today that I thought were, like, ‘Wow.’ When you look at him on the field, he’s big and strong, but I had no idea he was as athletic as he is. He’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Underwood hit some big throws, including a toe-dragging touchdown to Kendrick Bell and another to Andrew Marsh. He also showed his running ability with 77 yards and a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. But the interceptions doomed Michigan’s chances in the fourth quarter and turned a compelling game into a Texas romp.
“I thought he had a great game,” Poggi said. “He just made a few bad decisions at the end. He’ll learn. All these things are learning things for him.”
Michigan hung tough … until the fourth quarter
Following their loss to Ohio State to end the regular season, the Wolverines endured a tumultuous month that included Moore’s firing, his arrest on charges of third-degree home invasion, stalking and breaking and entering, and revelations of behind-the-scenes turmoil. They were shorthanded in the Citrus Bowl with running back Jordan Marshall, left guard Giovanni El-Hadi and edge rushers Derrick Moore and Jaishawn Barham among those who didn’t play.
None of that seemed to sap Michigan’s motivation. The Wolverines gave Underwood the green light to make plays with his arm and his legs, and he responded by throwing for two touchdowns and running for another. Underwood’s stretch for the pylon with 10:56 remaining in the fourth quarter gave Michigan a 27-24 lead, but the Wolverines fell apart from there. Underwood threw interceptions to end back-to-back drives in the fourth quarter, and Manning’s 60-yard touchdown run sealed the win for Texas.
“I thought Michigan, to their credit, had a bunch of fight in them today, too,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “I think they only had three opt-outs, and that is a credit to their coaching staff and to Biff and that organization for keeping that team together through some of their adversity, too. I credit them. They showed up ready to play today.”
These teams should be in the CFP conversation next year
Manning, a redshirt sophomore, has already said he intends to return to Texas next season. Underwood met with Whittingham this week and has indicated he’ll assess his future after the season. Underwood’s bowl performance showed the good and bad of his freshman season, with a mix of impressive throws, tough runs and questionable decisions that turned into interceptions. Regardless of who’s playing quarterback for Michigan next season — Underwood as a second-year starter, or a player Michigan signs from the transfer portal — the Wolverines should have the talent to make a run at the CFP. Texas should, too.
Michigan had solid defenses the past two seasons under defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, who is not expected to return as part of Whittingham’s staff. But the Wolverines weren’t good enough in big moments, and those struggles surfaced again in the Citrus Bowl as Michigan’s shorthanded defense ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. Texas will also have a new defensive coordinator after firing Pete Kwiatkowski and replacing him with Will Muschamp earlier in December.
“I am thankful that I got the opportunity to coach them this season, but also gives me a lot of hope into what 2026 is going to look like, because we have a really good football team,” Sarkisian said. “We have some more players that are going to join these guys that are going to be poised for a heck of a journey next year.”