AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Longhorns are 2-0, and might be the hottest team in college football through two games.
The Longhorns traveled to Ann Arbor, Mich. on Saturday, for a matchup against reigning national champion Michigan in what was viewed as a true litmus test game for the Burnt Orange.
What ensued was a dominant performance that has solidified the Longhorns as one of the nation's top programs.
The Longhorns entered a hostile Michigan Stadium, and came out 19-point winners, beating the Wolverines 31-12 and ending their 29-game regular season winning streak.
Quarterback Quinn Ewers effectively orchestrated the offense, finishing with 246 yards and three touchdowns on 24 of 36 passing. Ewers also ran the ball well when needed, picking up multiple first downs with his legs early in the game.
The Longhorns running game was mostly stifled, despite having 139 yards on the ground. 55 yards of their total came on a reverse by wide receiver Ryan Wingo, who was incidentally the game's leading rusher.
Tight end Gunnar Helm was the Longhorns' leading receiver, racking up 98 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. Matthew Golden continued his hot start, adding six receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown on the afternoon. He now has three touchdowns in two games in 2024.
As was the case against Colorado State, the Longhorn defense was a seemingly unstoppable force. While they did allow the Wolverines to hit the scoreboard this week, they were able to keep their opponents out of the end zone until well into the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach, when the Maize and Blue were able to punch one through in the final two minutes.
In two games, the Longhorn defense has held opponents to less than 230 yards per game. While it isn't a large sample size of games, it does indicate that the defense appears primed to build on its impressive 2023 campaign.
The defense also generated three turnovers, bringing their total to five in just two games. Andrew Mukuba and Derek Williams Jr. intercepted Michigan quarterback Davis Warren twice, while Jahdae Barron recovered a Colston Loveland fumble in the final two minutes of the first half. Former five-star freshman defensive end Colin Simmons also registered his first career sack.
Next up, the Longhorns will face UTSA at DKR Texas Memorial Stadium on Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. The Roadrunners will look to rebound after suffering a lopsided 49-10 loss to Texas State in their Week 2 matchup.