Michigan football crumbles in 41-27 Citrus Bowl loss to Texas
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ORLANDO, FL — The sun set on Michigan football in the Sunshine State in somewhat fitting fashion.
The Wolverines stuck together through a tumultuous leadup to the postseason. They showed up energized against a talented and favorited Texas side. All three phases made important plays, most notably special teams. They led in the fourth quarter.
But in the end, as has been the case in so many games against elite teams, it wasn’t enough.
No. 17 Michigan fell, 41-27, to No. 14 Texas in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Wednesday, Dec. 31, to put the finishing touches on a disappointing 2025 season, done in by a pair of long fourth-quarter touchdowns by Arch Manning and an implosion by Bryce Underwood.
Michigan finishes the season 9-4.
Underwood completed 23 of 42 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 13 times for 77 yards – his most against a Power Four opponent and the second-most of his freshman campaign. For the first 40 minutes, he was near his best.
However, he threw three back-breaking interceptions in the final 20 minutes. The first came in the red zone, late in the third quarter. The next came with less than six minutes to play and U-M fighting its way back from a three-point deficit. His third came with less than five minutes to play, as garbage time approached with U-M down 11.
Underwood was outdueled by Manning, who completed 21 of 34 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns to go with nine rushes for 155 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown to take the lead in the third quarter, 24-20, and a 60-yard dagger late in the fourth.
Michigan responded by marching inside the Texas red zone, but Underwood was picked off just in front of the goal line. U-M’s defense came up with a three-and-out and the offense took over in Texas territory again and this time, the offense stepped up.
The attack converted a pair of fourth downs to keep the drive alive before Underwood scored on a 5-yard rush to take the lead, 27-24, with 10:56 to play.
But the defense couldn’t hold on. Manning led the Longhorns on a nine-play, 75-yard drive capped with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Kaliq Lockett to go up 31-27. That came just moments after he scrambled for 15 yards on fourth-and-2 in Texas territory.
On U-M’s next trip, Underwood threw another pick setting up Texas near midfield. Manning responded with a 60-yard touchdown run, right up the heart of the defense.
Down 38-27, Underwood threw a third and final pick and the Longhorns tacked on a field goal.
A special day from special teams not enough
Special teams issues led to the firing of coordinator JB Brown and the hire of veteran Kerry Coombs in early December. It proved effective in Orlando.
Dominic Zvada banged home a 53-yard field goal in the first quarter to tie the game at three. On the ensuing kickoff, Cole Sullivan forced a fumble and TJ Metcalf dove on the loose ball to set up a short field and eventual touchdown.
Andrew Marsh – wearing a new No. 3, rather than the No. 4 from the rest of his freshman season – opened the second half with an explosive 44-yard return to set the attack up at midfield and then, after Texas took the lead, did it one better and had a 51-yard return to give the offense the ball on the UT 38.
Marsh had 155 total return yards, the most by any U-M player this season – by a wide margin.
Offense comes up one drive short
The numbers weren’t overwhelming, but Michigan operated efficiently before the giveaways.
The Wolverines scored on three consecutive drives in the first half, aided by Sullivan's forced fumble on a kickoff. Three plays later, Kendrick Bell hauled in a circus catch on the left sideline for a 22-yard touchdown, the first of his career.
Michigan marched on its next drive, going 69 yards in seven plays – Underwood accounted for 63 of them, including a 33-yard run – before he found Marsh on a four-yard out-route for a score.
The Wolverines chewed clock on their drive to open the second half, holding the ball more than five minutes over 12 plays before settling for a go-ahead Zvada field goal. Despite a turnover on the next drive, Michigan again chewed up more than five minutes off the clock on its go-ahead score in the fourth.
That’s when it fell apart.
Kuzdzal paced the ground game with 20 carries for 82 yards. Though U-M went just 4-for-15 on third down, it made up for it with a 5-for-6 mark on fourth down.
Defense can’t do enough
Michigan’s defense didn’t have the answers for Texas, however, allowing 457 yards of offense – including 236 on the ground.
Texas had four touchdown drives of at least 74 yards, another that covered 60 yards in one play and a drive that went 50 yards before ending in a field goal. Running back Christian Clark torched U-M, running 20 times for 105 yards while the passing attack was spread out with five different receivers catching multiple passes for at least 25 yards.
There were some big plays.
On Texas’ first drive, Tré Williams had a 3-yard tackle for loss in U-M territory to help force a field goal. On the next possession, Damon Payne blew up a carry in the back field on third-and-1 to force a punt.
In the second half, after the turnover, Jaden Mangham shot into the backfield from his spot in the secondary and dropped the Texas ball carrier for a loss to force a three-and-out and set U-M up with a short field.
But it wasn't enough. Michigan had five tackles for loss and four pass breakups but could not get home for a sack.
Next up for the Wolverines
It’s new coach Kyle Whittingham’s team now, with spring ball coming and then the 2026 season opener against MAC champion Western Michigan on Sept. 5. The nonconference slate is filled out by a pair of schools with a Southwest flavor, as College Football Playoff participant Oklahoma will visit Ann Arbor on Sept. 12, followed by UTEP on Sept. 19. As for the Big Ten schedule, the Wolverines will host Indiana (another CFP team), Iowa, Michigan State, Penn State and UCLA and hit the road to play Minnesota, Ohio State (a third CFP team), Oregon (a fourth CFP team) and Rutgers. Of the 12 teams on Michigan’s 2026 schedule, just four — MSU, Rutgers, UCLA and UTEP — missed a bowl in 2025.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football crumbles vs Texas, 41-27, in Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
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