In many of my baby photos, I’m wearing burnt orange. My dad, a Texas alum, sparked my love for the Longhorns, so of course I tuned in when the reigning National Champions, the Michigan Wolverines, lost to the Texas Longhorns at Michigan Stadium on Sept. 7.
This was Michigan’s first regular-season game loss since their 37-33 loss to Michigan State in 2021.
I sat in my living room watching ESPN’s College GameDay. Wearing grey Brandy Melville sweatpants and a UT hoodie, I sat criss-cross applesauce on the couch finishing my AP Psychology vocabulary notes. Every few minutes my attention would shift from standard deviations to the TV.
The Longhorns were on fire from the beginning. Texas almost scored a touchdown early in the first quarter, but a foul resulted in a 10-yard penalty. I stopped my notes and started screaming at the TV. Following the foul, Gunnar Helm scored a touchdown, redeeming the 7-0 Longhorn lead. Thank God.
In the second quarter, the Wolverines caught up with a field goal by Dominic Zvada. Texas followed up with another touchdown by Jerrick Gibson and a field goal by Bert Auburn, making the score 17-3 Texas. Matthew Golden clutched with another touchdown in the final 10 seconds of the second quarter. Texas conquered halftime with a 24-3 lead. This lead was exciting but nerve-wracking. Considering we were playing the reigning national champions, I expected the score of the game to be closer.
In the third quarter, Dominic Zvada scored a field goal for Michigan and, following a pass from Ewers, Jaydon Blue scored another touchdown for the Longhorns. Michigan powered through the final minute and 54 seconds of the last quarter, scoring a touchdown, and losing to Texas 31-12.
A flood of relief washed over my body.
As I watched the final score pop up on my TV, I felt optimistic. After years of supporting the Longhorns when they were performing suboptimally at best (I’m talking about that god-awful 2016 season), I finally got to support them when their performance showed promise of making the playoffs, and hopefully a National Championship. It was almost a given that Texas would win their previous game against Colorado State, but the Michigan game made me realize that Texas will be a force to be reckoned with this season.
I admit both teams had some strong key players. Michigan’s wide receiver Semaj Morgan caught the 31-yard pass that finally scored a touchdown for the Wolverines. Safety Makari Paige made six tackles on Saturday, making the most tackles by Michigan. Kicker Dominic Zvada, a transfer from Arkansas State, continued an impressive performance, making field goals from 37 to 52 yards. Texas quarterback and star of the new Dr. Pepper commercial, Quinn Ewers led the Longhorns, throwing three touchdown passes during the game. Fan favorite Arch Manning (cue the guy that was holding a flag of his student ID) continues to be the backup for Ewers, with him sitting on the bench for the game. Manning brings promising talent and potential to the team. However, Ewers continues to be a safer choice when creating the lineup due to his consistency and power on the field. As much as I would love to see Manning get more playing time, I understand Sarkisian’s strategy and believe that Manning will be an absolute powerhouse for Texas in the coming years.
Michigan’s loss to Texas signifies bigger issues for the Wolverines. My main takeaway from the team’s performance is Michigan’s offensive strategy. Their offensive players struggle to run the ball with dominance, resulting in low-scoring games.
Despite this, I would keep your eyes on both teams this season. Michigan will need to make serious changes to its offense to redeem its 2024 season. Texas is already demonstrating its potential to be a top contender for the championship. However, the Longhorns’ potential relies on their competition in the SEC and if Sarkisian’s strategies continue to bring the Longhorns success.
Regardless of the Longhorn’s performance for the rest of the season, there will always be a place in my heart for the team from Austin.