It was the Arch Manning show as the Texas Longhorns defeated the Michigan Wolverines 41-27 in the 2025 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on December 31 at Camping World Stadium.
Manning tore the Wolverines’ defense with his arm and legs. The 21-year-old completed 21 of 35 passes for 221 passing yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, the Texas star had nine carries for 155 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
After the game, Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi spoke to the media and was blunt in his assessment of Manning. Moreover, since this was his first time seeing the Longhorns’ standout, he didn’t hold back with his remarks.
“He’s an exceptional player,” Poggi said told reporters postgame (h/t Eric C. Henry of Horns247). “I mean, he made some throws that I thought were like, wow. Then, of course, I had no idea he was… 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.”
Moreover, Wolverines linebacker Jimmy Rolder was also taken aback by how good Manning is, especially with his legs, which he used to torment the Michigan defense.
“He’s a dangerous [and] can make every throw,” Rolder added. “Again, throws it nice [and is] sneaky fast. But yeah, it’s pretty much it.”
Texas’ Defense Was Also a Star In Beating Michigan
While Manning will garner the headlines for guiding Texas to their 10th win of the 2025 college football season, their defense also stepped up. Giving up 27 points isn’t ideal, but the Longhorns’ defense generated key turnovers when needed.
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood threw for two touchdowns, but he also recorded three interceptions. Moreover, Ty’Anthony Smith picked off Underwood twice with Wardell Mack registering the other interception off the Wolverwines standout. Along with the interceptions, Texas recorded three sacks, making life challenging for the freshman.
Ty’Anthony Smith Gets Major Praise After Texas’ Win
Following Texas’ victory over Michigan on New Year’s Eve, head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke about Smith’s performance and his evolution into the leader of the linebacker room by the end of the season.
“To where he was coming into this season, halfway, three-quarters away through the year, he was essentially a backup player,” Sarkisian told reporters postgame (h/t Eric C. Henry of Horns247 ). “But [he] was earning more and more opportunities because of the way that he was playing. I would argue by the end of the season, he was the leader in that linebacker room because of who he is on a regular basis, because of his practice habits, because of the way he goes about his work.
“Now he’s in there, and he is the leader, and he’s playing with guys who haven’t really played much or hadn’t been in that position. His confidence continues to grow, and all that does is spread to other players. I think that’s what unique competitors have the ability to do. It’s not only his competitive spirit, but he can spread it to others.
“I think it just speaks to a lot of the other younger players: if you look to these guys and you look to their practice habits, you look to the way they carry themselves, you look to the way they go about their work, and don’t complain and just do what you’re supposed to do, stay competitive, don’t just accept the role you have, strive for more. Then, when your number is called, you’ll be ready to play. I think that showed up for him today, and I think it gives him a great springboard in the offseason of 2026 from a leadership standpoint.”
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