Saturday’s non-conference matchup between then #3 Texas and #10 Michigan was the most highly anticipated non-conference game of the 2024 college football season. A matchup between two of College Football’s winningest programs, Michigan (#1) and Texas (#4). The eyes of the universe were zeroed in on The Big House for Saturday’s matchup.
Game Backstory
Texas, in an effort to insert themselves back into the national spotlight as one of college football’s elite programs, scheduled a road game against a top-10 opponent for two straight seasons (will play @ Ohio State opening weekend next year on 8/30).
Last year’s win @ #3 Alabama let the College Football world know that Texas was back. A subsequent Big 12 Championship and CFP berth was further proof that Texas, after a decade-plus of irrelevancy, was back.
Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman
This year, however, is a new year.
Texas isn’t in the Big 12 anymore, but rather finds themselves in the absolutely LOADED SEC.
As the new kid on the block, a statement win on the road against the reigning National Champions was the perfect opportunity to let the rest of the SEC know what’s coming.
Week 2 Recap: Texas Overpowers Michigan for 31-12 Win
It’s hard to tell what was more impressive from the Longhorns on Saturday: their offense or their defense.
Offensively, Texas marched down the field on what seemed like every possession in the first half. They scored on 4 of 5 possessions (did not score on the opening drive due to a missed FG).
Ewers for Heisman?
Texas QB Quinn Ewers looked loose and confident, making the right reads and not forcing the ball. He did not turn the ball over once. This led to an easy turnover battle win for Texas, who intercepted Michigan QB Davis Warren twice and forced a Colston Loveland fumble.
Ewers, who was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week, threw for 246 yards and 3 TDs with no turnovers.
In my biased opinion, there is no one currently who should be above Ewers in the Heisman conversation. Ewers controls the pace of the game for the Longhorns and does it better than anyone in hostile road environments.
Granted, he does have a litany of offensive talent around him and plays for one of the most creative offensive minds in college football with Steve Sarkisian. But year after year, Ewers has improved, and it showed against Michigan’s defense on Saturday.
Ewers found TE Gunnar Helm in the endzone in the first quarter to get the scoring started and the Longhorns never looked back. Touchdowns from RBs Jerrick Gibson and Jaydon Blue as well as WR Matthew Golden gave Texas a 31-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Defense Wins Championships
A garbage time TD for Michigan aside, Texas’s defense was just as impressive as their offense.
Texas opened the season with almost eight straight quarters without giving up a TD. An impressive feat, especially since four of those quarters were against Michigan on the road.
Wolverine QB Davis Warren looked lost for most of the game, missing reads and not being on the same page as his receivers. Texas picked off Warren twice, one by Sophomore DB Derek Williams Jr. and one from S Andrew Mukuba.
Mukuba, who transferred from Clemson after playing 3 years in Death Valley, was all over the field Saturday deflecting balls, affecting pass attempts and being an overall menace for Michigan’s offense. Texas’s biggest flaw last season, which was ultimately exposed in their CFP-semifinal loss to Washington, was their pass defense. Mukuba significantly improves this flaw with his athleticism and experience in the secondary.
Saturday’s win bumped Texas above Ohio State for #2 in the latest AP Poll. Some say Texas should’ve jumped Georgia too, but that’s an argument for another day. Michigan dropped 7 spots to #17 and will look to regroup at home on Saturday against Arkansas State.
Week 3 Preview vs. UTSA
The next test for the Longhorns comes this Saturday, at home, against the UTSA Roadrunners. UTSA is led by SO QB Owen McCown, the son of former NFL journeyman Josh McCown.
Another interesting thing to note is Texas Junior LB Trey Moore transferred from UTSA over the offseason so we’ll see how he plays against his former team.
Texas opens up as -34.5 favorites against the Roadrunners in Saturday’s matchup, according to FanDuel.
