Sep 73 min read

Texas Longhorns Annihilate Michigan at the Big House

Quinn Ewers — © Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns (2-0) went into the famed Big House in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Sept. 7 and took down the defending national champion No. 10 Michigan Wolverines with a decisive 31-12 victory in the first-ever regular season matchup between the two legendary programs that ended the Wolverines 23-game home winning streak.

After a slow start, the Longhorns took over the game in the second quarter and never looked back as they put up 389 yards on the day.

Game Summary

After a missed field goal on the opening drive, the Longhorn offense picked up where it left off last week against Colorado State, outgaining the Wolverines 279-88 in the first half as the defense forced two turnovers.

A 21-yard touchdown pass from Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers to tight end Gunnar Helm started the scoring, and the Longhorns went on to score 17 more points in the second quarter to pull away.

After holding the Wolverines to a field goal on their most successful drive of the half, Texas leaned on its running game, which picked up 41 yards on a 12-play, 76-yard drive that ended with a touchdown run from freshman Jerrick Gibson.

The two turnovers led to 10 more points as Bert Auburn connected on a short field goal, and Ewers connected with wide receiver Matthew Golden in the end zone just before halftime.

After Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada converted a 52-yard field goal, Texas answered with another Ewers touchdown pass to Jaydon Blue to remain in control.

Zvada was Michigan's greatest weapon, converting on both field goal attempts. The Wolverines did find the end zone in garbage time as quarterback Davis Warren connected with wide receiver Semaj Morgan for a 31-yard score, but by that point, the game was well in hand.

Texas Longhorns — © Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK

Ewers finished with 246 yards and 3 touchdown passes, and Helm led the Longhorns in receiving with 98 yards and a touchdown on 7 catches.

Turning Point

Two turnovers late in the second quarter contributed to Michigan's demise.

Trailing 14-3 and facing a third-and-2 on the Wolverines' 33-yard line, Warren threw an interception to defensive back Andrew Mukuba to give Texas the ball deep in Michigan territory. While the Wolverine defense held Texas to a field goal, it was suddenly a two-touchdown game.

Mukuba finished with 4 tackles, 2 pass breakups, and an interception on the day.

The Michigan offense had another costly turnover as it tried to cut into the deficit before halftime. Tight end Colston Loveland caught a third-down pass over the middle but fumbled as he tried to run for the first down. Texas recovered, and Ewers hit Golden for the touchdown with 15 seconds left in the half.

Texas led by three scores and had everything in its control after that.

What it Means

Texas passed its first big test of the season with flying colors and cemented itself as a national contender. The Longhorns' offense is elite and showed it once again, this time against a defense that is expected to be among the best in the country and has a former NFL defensive coordinator calling the shots.

Some had questions about the Longhorns' defense before the season, particularly regarding the defensive line, but those concerns seem overblown for now, and the secondary looks fantastic.

The Longhorns play UTSA (1-0) and Louisiana Monroe (1-0) over the next two weeks to wrap up their nonconference slate and will play their first-ever SEC game against Mississippi State (1-0) on Sept. 28. The Longhorns' next big challenge comes in the Red River Rivalry game against No. 15 Oklahoma (1-0) on Oct. 12.

Michigan's overall 32-game winning streak and 23-game home winning streak have come to an end. The Wolverines still have an elite defense but continue to struggle on offense, and there does not appear to be a quick fix because of the lack of experience on that side of the ball.