On New Years' Eve, No. 18 Michigan (9-4) couldn't take down Texas (10-3) in the Citrus Bowl, falling by a score of 41-27.
Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood had a volatile day, showing promise at times, but ultimately making too many mistakes. On the game, he threw 23-for-42 for 199 yards as well two touchdowns and three interceptions. Junior running back Bryson Kuzdzal took over lead back duties, rushing for 82 yards on 20 attempts.
Texas started off the game with a solid drive down the field, getting on the board first. The Wolverines forced a third-and-10 on the Longhorns' 25-yard line, but they were still able to march down into field goal range and pick up the early 3-0 lead.
The teams traded punts on the ensuing two possessions, but Michigan struck next with a field goal of its own, as senior kicker Dominic Zvada knocked in a 53-yard try to knot the score at three apiece.
Following Zvada's field goal, Michigan got its first break. Sophomore linebacker Cole Sullivan forced a fumble on the kickoff return, which gave the Wolverines the ball just 23 yards from the end zone. On a third-and-6 from the 19-yard line, Underwood lofted a pass to the left sideline in the endzone. Junior wide receiver Kendrick Bell brought the ball in while falling out of bounds, but the pass was initially ruled incomplete. After review, the referees determined Bell just got his toe in bounds, and the Wolverines took a 10-3 lead.
The Longhorns wasted no time in responding, however, ripping off an 11-play, 75-yard drive in just over four-and-a-half minutes. They capped it off with a three-yard touchdown rush to tie the game once again, this time at 10-10 just over a minute into the second quarter.
Underwood's legs made a big appearance on Michigan's ensuing seven-play, 69-yard drive, as he rushed for 53-yards by himself before connecting with freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh for a four-yard touchdown. The Wolverines' response made the score 17-10.
The haymakers continued to fly, though, and Texas once again responded. On a penalty-riddled drive, Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning threw his first touchdown of the day, a 17-yard toss to his tight end to knot the score at 17-17.
Both teams had a chance to score a field goal before halftime, but Texas fumbled and was forced to punt, and Zvada pushed his 45-yard try wide to the right. So, the teams headed to their locker rooms knotted at 17-17.
Michigan got the ball first out of halftime, and was able drive down into the red zone. But Texas held strong, forcing the Wolverines to settle for a field goal. Zvada knocked this one through, however, and gave his squad a 20-17 lead.
The Longhorns, on the other hand, were able to cap off their first drive of the half with a 23-yard touchdown scamper from Manning, putting Texas on top at 24-20.
On the Wolverines' next drive, they once again got into the red zone, but a costly block in the back penalty on graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley put them well behind the sticks. Forced to throw, Underwood made his first mistake of the game, throwing an interception and coming away with no points.
Michigan forced a quick punt, though, and got the ball back with no harm done. A nice punt return from Marsh gave the Wolverines great field position, and they took advantage. It took 11 plays to move 45 yards, including two fourth-down conversions, but Underwood just barely snuck into the end zone to give his squad the 27-24 lead with 11 minutes to play.
Just as they had all game, though, the Longhorns responded. Aided significantly by a fourth-down conversion of their own, Manning's 30-yard touchdown pass put them right back on top at 31-27 with just under seven minutes to play.
The Wolverines couldn't respond themselves, in fact, they made their second big mistake. On a third-and-8, Underwood forced a pass over the middle of the field and Texas linebacker Ty'Anthony Smith snagged it for an interception. And on the first play of the Longhorn's drive, Manning burst off a 60-yard touchdown, flying untouched down the middle of the field and making the score 38-27.
Michigan needed a quick score, but instead, it got Underwood's third interception. Rolling to his right, he tried to connect with McCulley, but Smith lurked the route and picked up his second interception of the game. Texas knocked in a field goal to extend the lead to 41-27, all but sealing the victory.
The Wolverines weren't able to score again, and as the clock expired, their season did as well. It was a tumultuous year, but with a young team and a new coach, Michigan sets its eyes on 2026.
