So much for that, “Hey, I know they made the playoff, but Texas is in REAL TROUBLE when they go to Ann Arbor!” thing.
Instead, it was the Michigan Wolverines, who looked absolutely nothing like the national championship team a year ago, that were in real trouble – and from the get-go – on Saturday, and remained that way, all the way through the 31-12 blowout loss to their Southeastern Conference visitors from Austin, Texas.
And honestly – it didn’t feel as close as the score. Texas scored on four of its five first-half possessions, went into the locker room at the half with a 24-3 lead, and Michigan didn’t get into the end zone until just under two minutes left in the game.
The Longhorns’ win snapped Michigan’s 29-game regular season win streak, snapped the nation’s best 16-game win streak, and also busted the Wolverines’ streak of 23 straight home wins.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, ironically an Ohio State transfer, went 24-of-36 for 246 yards and three touchdowns, the touchdown passes going to Gunnar Helm (21 yards, in the first quarter), Matthew Golden (5 yards, just before the half) and Jaydon Blue (7 yards, in the third quarter).
The only awkward moment for the Longhorns, the only fail, came after the game when linebacker Daivd Gbenda tried to plant the familiar Texas Longhorn flag into the ‘M’ at midfield, but it failed to stick into the turf.
Michigan quarterback Davis Warren went 22-of-33 for 204 yards, a touchdown to Semaj Morgan for 31 yards, and two interceptions.
Neither coach afterward would declare their season over, in Sherrone Moore’s case, in his first season as coach after replacing Jim Harbaugh, or an instant success, in the case of Texas coach Steve Sarkisian.
“I never really thought about the growing pains, more so just what can we do to get better,” Moore said. “We knew we were a new team. We never try to rest on our laurels that we won the national championship last year.”
“This one game isn’t going to define our season, but I think it would serve as a pretty good barometer of the type of team that we could be,” coach Steve Sarkisian said.
Texas (2-0) will host UT-San Antonio on Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. local time in Austin, on ESPN. Michigan (1-1) will host Arkansas State at noon Eastern on Saturday on the Big Ten Network.
