It’s been nearly three decades since a Manning was triumphant in the Citrus Bowl.
Arch Manning followed in the footsteps of his famous uncle Peyton, claiming the MVP award while leading No. 13 Texas to a 41-27 win over No. 18 Michigan in the 80th edition of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium on Wednesday.
Peyton Manning accomplished the same feat, combining for 416 total yards and 5 total touchdowns while leading Tennessee to a 48-28 win over Northwestern in the 1997 Citrus Bowl. It was his second consecutive appearance in the game.
The younger Manning capped a similar performance, completing 21 of 34 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 155 yards and two scores, in leading Texas (10-3) to its third straight double-digit win season for the first time since 2007-09.
“[We] wanted to stay the course and continue to compete,” said Manning, who improved to 11-3 as the Longhorns starter. “We had a month of preparation for this and got new guys acclimated, and it was cool to cap it off [with a win].”
Texas opened the season as the No. 1 overall team, but several early losses forced the team to climb back into contention in the SEC. After a late-season win over No. 2 Texas A&M, the Longhorns believed they did enough to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff, only to be surprised when they were left out of the 12-team field.
“This team had its own adversity this season, but the real, true, unique competitors rise up to every challenge that they’re faced with and that’s what this team did today,” said Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. “We played without nine starters today and played with over 20 scholarship players not suited up for practice and it created great opportunities.”
It had been a disastrous month for Michigan (9-4) as coach Sherrone Moore was fired after a school investigation found he had participated in an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. The scandal was the latest black eye for a storied blue-blood program. Yet the Wolverines didn’t play like a team that had checked out.
UM led as late as midway through the fourth quarter before eventually succumbing to Texas.
Texas started the game by taking the opening kickoff to the Michigan 25, but the Longhorns were unable to convert on a 3rd-and-4, setting up a 43-yard field goal by Mason Shipley for a 3-0 lead.
Michigan tied the game on a 53-yard field goal by kicker Dominic Zvada.
That was the second-longest field goal in Citrus Bowl history and the second-longest kick of the season for the senior.
Both teams went back and forth on offense, scoring four total touchdowns in 11 minutes from the first into the second quarter.
Texas returner Ryan Niblett fumbled the football on a kickoff at the Longhorns 23. Three plays later, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood found receiver Kendrick Bell in the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown and a 10-3 lead.
The Longhorns mounted an impressive 11-play drive on their next possession, featuring a crucial 19-yard keeper by Manning on 4th-and-1. On the next play, running back Christian Clark scampered to his left for a 3-yard touchdown to tie the game at 10.
Undeterred, Michigan responded with its own 7-play drive, fueled by the 6-foot-4, 228-pound Underwood, who found receiver Andrew Marsh on a 4-yard screen pass for a touchdown that gave the Wolverines a 17-10 lead.
It was the fourth game this season in which Underwood threw multiple touchdowns.
Not to be outdone, Manning orchestrated his own scoring drive, capped by a laser-like pass to tight end Jack Endries, who used all of his 6-4 height and more to pull down the catch for a 17-yard touchdown.
Zvada missed a 45-yard field goal attempt at the end of the first half, keeping the game tied at 17.
Michigan took the second-half kickoff and marched down the field, converting on a pair of 4th-and-1s before settling for a 31-yard field goal by Zvada to retake the lead, 20-17.
Manning scored his second touchdown of the game when he ran past the UM defense into the end zone for a 23-yard score midway through the third quarter. It was the first lead by Texas since the Longhorns led 3-0 in the first quarter.
Not to be outdone, Underwood led UM on another scoring drive as the true freshman raced 5 yards before diving into the end zone as he slid out of bounds, giving the Wolverines a 27-24 advantage with 10:56 left in the game. It would be the last time that Michigan would hold the lead in the game.
Manning went back to work, guiding the Longhorns into Michigan territory before lofting a beautiful rainbow of a pass to receiver Kaliq Lockett for a 30-yard touchdown and a 31-27 lead.
“He’s an exceptional player,” said Michigan interim coach Biff Poggi. “You look at him on the field: he’s strong. But I had no idea he was as athletic as he is. He’s a force to be reckoned with.”
Manning wasn’t finished because on the following Texas possession he took the snap and raced 60 yards untouched for a touchdown that sealed the win for the Longhorns.
When asked about winning the MVP honors just like his uncle, Arch made it clear his sights are set on the College Football Playoff.
“Nothing against the Citrus Bowl, but I think he played in it twice and I don’t want to have to play in it twice,” Manning said with a smile.
Texas finished with 457 yards of total offense as Longhorns running back Clark rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown. Linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith registered two interceptions.
Underwood finished 23 of 42 for 199 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions — all of which came in the second half. He also rushed for 82 yards and a score.
“He’s a wonderful kid with a huge upside,” Poggi said of Underwood. “Playing in a ball game against an SEC football team that was preseason ranked No. 1, he had a great game. He just made a few bad decisions at the end, but he’ll learn from them. So much of playing quarterback is experiential. You have to experience it and he’s a competitor.”
Michigan had 382 yards of offense.
Please find me on X, Bluesky or Instagram @osmattmurschel. Email: mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com.
