ESPN News Services
Dec 31, 2025, 07:32 PM ET
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Arch Manning made big plays with his arm and his legs Wednesday in the Citrus Bowl, throwing two touchdown passes and putting it away with a 60-yard scoring run in a 41-27 victory that ended a rough month for No. 14 Michigan.
Manning was an easy choice as the Citrus Bowl MVP, and that was before he burst up the middle on his 60-yarder that gave the Longhorns (10-3) a 38-27 lead, the first time all game either team led by more than one score.
Manning was 21-of-34 for 221 yards passing, and he ran nine times for 155 yards.
He delivered a perfect throw to Kaliq Lockett on a 30-yard TD for a 31-27 lead, the first time Texas led since a field goal on its opening drive.
That was one play after he scrambled 15 yards for a first down on fourth-and-2. Manning twice converted on fourth down with clutch runs, both times extending drives that led to touchdowns.
Manning said it was meaningful to end on a high note after having an up-and-down season.
"I think I go back to Coach [Steve Sarkisian's] point, just staying the course and continue to compete," Manning said. "And I think we had a month of preparation before this and getting new guys acclimated, and it was cool to cap it off like the way we did."
Kyle Whittingham, who arrived in Orlando on Saturday to start meeting with players, watched from the box at the Citrus Bowl. The longtime Utah coach takes over a Michigan team (9-4) that produced a strong running game and played tough on defense despite missing its top two defenders, who opted out of the game.
But there was no answer for Manning, who accounted for about 80% of the Longhorns' offense.
Texas also got great production from freshman running back Christian Clark, who had one touchdown and rushed for 105 yards on 20 carries. The Longhorns were without their three leading rushers, all of whom are entering the transfer portal.
Bryce Underwood, Michigan's freshman quarterback, kept the Wolverines in the game until a pair of late interceptions sealed it. He was 23-of-42 for 199 yards and two touchdowns, along with three interceptions in the last 18 minutes of the game.
Underwood, who ran for 77 yards, scampered for a 5-yard touchdown run by diving to touch the pylon, giving Michigan its last lead at 27-24 with just under 11 minutes to go.
His pass was intercepted by Ty'Anthony Smith over the middle after Texas had taken the lead, and Smith picked off Underwood another time along the sideline on the next drive.
"We have got a great football team in there that, I promise you, not a lot of people wanted to play," Sarkisian said. "There was probably a lot of teams that were hoping we didn't get into the playoff, and that's OK, too. But our trajectory is right where it needs to be. We're a very good football team. We lost a couple tough ballgames. We fought back. We've got the right culture, the right mentality."
Biff Poggi lost for the first time as Michigan's interim coach. Poggi coached victories over Nebraska and Central Michigan when former coach Sherrone Moore served a two-game suspension related to the sign-stealing scandal from 2023.
Moore was fired three weeks ago due to what the school said was an "inappropriate relationship with a staff member," and he was arrested and charged with three crimes later in the day for breaking into the woman's home.
Whittingham brings a history of toughness and discipline from his 21 years at Utah, which Michigan hopes can go a long way toward bringing some stability.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
