The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl promised fireworks, and boy, did it deliver. On a sun-drenched Wednesday in Orlando, Florida, the Texas Longhorns capped off their 2025 college football season in emphatic fashion, surging past the Michigan Wolverines 41-27 at Camping World Stadium. The win not only gave Texas its tenth victory of the campaign, but also provided a showcase for quarterback Arch Manning, who delivered a performance for the ages.
Both teams entered the bowl with matching 9-3 records, each ranked in the top 20 and eager to finish a tumultuous season on a high note. For Texas, disappointment lingered after missing out on the College Football Playoff, and a wave of player opt-outs—eighteen in total—left their roster looking more like a patchwork quilt than a powerhouse. Michigan, meanwhile, was reeling from the recent firing and arrest of head coach Sherrone Moore, with interim coach Biff Poggi stepping in to steady the ship for one last game before newly hired Kyle Whittingham takes over in 2026.
Despite the chaos, the Longhorns took the field as 7-point favorites, though most analysts expected a tight contest. The Wolverines, for their part, had just three confirmed opt-outs, but Poggi hinted that the real number could be closer to a dozen. Regardless, the game was set for a dramatic conclusion to the season, with ABC broadcasting the action to a national audience at 2 p.m. Central Time.
The opening quarter set the tone for a back-and-forth affair. Texas, led by Manning, struck first with a 43-yard field goal, but Michigan responded quickly. Bryce Underwood, Michigan’s freshman quarterback, orchestrated a drive capped by a 22-yard completion to Andrew Marsh and a 19-yard pass to Donaven McCulley. After a defensive stop, Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada drilled a 53-yard field goal, tying the game at 3-3. The Wolverines then seized momentum, capitalizing on a fumble by Texas return man Ryan Niblett. Underwood connected with Kendrick Bell for a touchdown, confirmed after video review, giving Michigan a 10-3 lead.
Texas refused to let the early setback define their day. Manning, showing poise beyond his years, found Ryan Wingo for a 22-yard gain and handed off to freshman Christian Clark for a 22-yard burst. On a gutsy 4th-and-1 in the second quarter, Manning kept it himself for 19 yards, setting up Clark’s three-yard touchdown run to level the score at 10-10. Michigan answered with a 69-yard drive, featuring Underwood’s legs and a four-yard scoring toss to Marsh, reclaiming the lead. But Texas, unbowed, responded with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Manning to tight end Jack Endries, knotting things at 17 apiece.
Halftime arrived with the score tied, and both fanbases were left wondering: who would seize control? The answer, as the second half unfolded, was Arch Manning. He began to take over, both through the air and on the ground. Early in the third quarter, Michigan edged ahead on a Zvada field goal, but Manning answered with a dazzling 23-yard rushing touchdown, his ninth of the season. The drive was kept alive by a roughing-the-passer penalty and a pass interference call, but it was Manning’s burst up the middle that had Texas fans on their feet.
The Wolverines weren’t done yet. Underwood, showing flashes of brilliance, led Michigan on a drive that included multiple fourth-down conversions. He capped it with a five-yard touchdown run, giving Michigan a narrow 27-24 advantage early in the fourth quarter. But the Longhorns, undeterred, stormed back. Manning, on 4th-and-2, scrambled for 15 yards, then delivered a 30-yard strike to Kaliq Lockett for a touchdown, swinging the lead back to Texas at 31-27.
From there, the Longhorns never looked back. Manning’s defining moment came with just over five minutes left: a 60-yard dash up the middle for a touchdown that all but sealed the game. Mason Shipley’s 51-yard field goal a few minutes later put the finishing touches on the win, stretching the lead to 41-27. On the defensive side, Texas linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith and defensive back Wardell Mack each snagged crucial interceptions in the second half, stymieing Michigan’s hopes for a comeback.
“It’s officially the Arch Manning show,” wrote one observer, and it was hard to argue. Manning finished with a career-high 155 rushing yards, outdueling Underwood, who threw three touchdowns but was picked off three times in the final two quarters. Manning’s ability to improvise—scrambling for key first downs, making pinpoint throws under pressure—proved the difference in a game where Texas’s depth was tested at every turn due to their staggering number of opt-outs.
For Michigan, the defeat was a tough pill to swallow. The Wolverines had hoped to rally around Poggi and close out the season with their tenth win. Instead, they fell short, ending the campaign at 9-4 and snapping a streak of three consecutive bowl victories. The game also marked the end of Poggi’s brief tenure as interim head coach, with Utah’s Kyle Whittingham set to take the reins for 2026.
The Wolverines’ season had already been marked by upheaval—a 27-9 loss to Ohio State, the coaching change, and uncertainty surrounding player availability. Yet, despite the adversity, Michigan showed flashes of the team that won a national championship just two years ago. Underwood’s three total touchdowns and Marsh’s explosive returns kept them in the contest deep into the second half, but turnovers and missed opportunities proved costly.
On the Texas sideline, the mood was jubilant. The Longhorns’ ability to overcome adversity—missing key players at running back, linebacker, and defensive back—spoke volumes about their depth and resilience. Manning’s performance will be remembered as one of the highlights of the bowl season, and for a Texas team that started the year with playoff ambitions, finishing with ten wins offers a measure of redemption.
As the confetti settled in Orlando, one thing was clear: the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl had lived up to its billing as one of the top non-playoff games of the year. Texas fans will savor this win, while Michigan looks ahead to a new era under Whittingham. For college football enthusiasts everywhere, this was a game to remember.
