Arch Manning's Dominant Second Half Seals Texas's Citrus Bowl Win Over Michigan

Manning ran for two touchdowns and threw for another in the second half of Wednesday's Citrus Bowl victory over the Wolverines.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning's dominant second half sealed a win against Michigan in Wednesday's Citrus Bowl.
Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning's dominant second half sealed a win against Michigan in Wednesday's Citrus Bowl. / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Texas quarterback Arch Manning broke loose for a 60-yard touchdown run with 5:06 remaining in the fourth quarter on Wednesday—an exclamation point to a dominant second half for the sophomore quarterback in the Longhorns' 41-27 victory over Michigan in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

Manning ran for two second half touchdowns and threw for another as part of a four-score day for the 21-year-old, as Texas ended the season on a high note despite missing the College Football Playoff. Manning completed 21 of his 34 passing attempts for 221 yards and two touchdowns, and added nine carries for 155 yards and two additional scores.

Texas finished the season 10-3, marking the third consecutive double-digit win season under head coach Steve Sarkisian.

For Manning, it was a strong end to an up-and-down campaign that began with unprecedented hype as he took over the starting quarterback job for the first time. Manning was atop most preseason Heisman Trophy lists, and was named a preseason All-American.

Manning finished the season completing 61.3% of his passes for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns to seven interceptions. He is draft eligible in April, but there's a strong chance he returns for his redshirt-junior season with the Longhorns.

If he does, he'll certainly be among the sport's top returning players at the quarterback position in 2026.


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Mike McDaniel
MIKE MCDANIEL

Mike McDaniel is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where he has worked since January 2022. His work has been featured at InsideTheACC.com, SB Nation, FanSided and more. McDaniel hosts the Hokie Hangover Podcast, covering Virginia Tech athletics, as well as Basketball Conference: The ACC Football Podcast. Outside of work, he is a husband and father, and an avid golfer.