Arch Manning Leads Texas to 41-27 Win Over Michigan in 80th Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
By: Justice Covert
Florida Citrus Sports
Texas quarterback Arch Manning threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns and added 155 yards and two scores on the ground as No. 13 Texas defeated No. 18 Michigan 41-27 in the 2025 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, the 80th edition of the iconic Orlando postseason classic.
The meeting between the two preseason playoff hopefuls was a back-and-forth affair, and the teams entered halftime tied at 17. At one point in the first half, the two sides combined for five consecutive drives that ended with a score. In the final frame, however, the Longhorns pulled away, claiming a victory in the program’s first-ever Orlando bowl appearance.
“I am really proud of our football team,” Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian said following the win. “We were just talking in the locker room about the life of a competitor, and the life of a competitor isn’t easy, and there is ups and downs. There is adversity.”
Manning’s first rushing touchdown, a 23-yard carry with 5:38 left in the third, put Texas on top 24-20, but Michigan reclaimed a 27-24 lead early in the fourth quarter thanks to a 5-yard rushing score from quarterback Bryce Underwood, who finished the day with 199 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air in addition to 77 yards on 13 carries.
Four minutes later, however, Manning’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Kaliq Lockett — the game’s longest completion — gave Texas the lead for good. The next time he touched the ball, Manning bolted untouched off a read option for a 60-yard game-sealing touchdown, the game’s longest rushing play.
The sophomore quarterback earned game MVP honors for his effort after closing the night with four total touchdowns and 376 total yards of offense. Manning was also the first player to rush for 155 or more yards in the Citrus Bowl since Marcus Murphy did so with Missouri in 2015.
Wednesday’s game capped off a year of growth for Manning, who recorded 2,736 yards and scored 32 total touchdowns this season.
“It meant a lot,” Manning said of the win. “I think I go back to coach Sark’s point, just staying the course and continuing to compete. … We had a month of preparation before this, getting new guys acclimated, and it was cool to cap it off the way we did.”
Defensively, the Longhorns recorded three interceptions and limited the Michigan offense to 373 total yards. Two of the interceptions were snagged by sophomore linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith, a career high. Smith’s second pick of the game came immediately after Manning’s 60-yard dash for the end zone, leading Smith to praise the heavens on the sideline.
“I looked up and said, ‘Thank you, Jesus,’” Smith said.
For Michigan, its true freshman signal caller Underwood earned praise from Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi, despite the three interceptions the Longhorns forced.
“He is a wonderful kid with a huge upside,” Poggi said of Underwood. “He is a true freshman starting in an elite conference, and playing in a bowl game against an SEC football team that was preseason ranked No. 1. I thought he had a great game. He just made a few bad decisions at the end.”
The win evens out Sarkisian’s bowl record to 5-5, and Texas has now won each of it’s three all-time meetings against Michigan. Sarkisian, though, already has his and the team’s sights set on 2026.
“I am excited about where we are at as a program,” Sarkisian said. “We want to be SEC champions, and we want to be national champions.”