The game of the week in college football Saturday is clearly an SEC-Big Ten showdown and possible College Football Playoff preview, as No. 3 Texas visits No. 10 Michigan, with the Wolverines as rare home underdogs on the NCAAF odds.
Texas vs. Michigan Game Preview: 2024 NCAAF Expert Analysis
| Opening NCAAF Lines Subject to Change: Texas -7.5 (total 42.5) Expert Prediction: Texas 23, Michigan 20 |
Texas Longhorns -300
No. 3 Texas opened with an easy 52-0 win over Colorado State last Saturday in UT’s first-ever game as an SEC program. The 52 points marked the most in a season-opening game for Texas since Sept. 3, 2022, when the Longhorns beat ULM 52-10. The Longhorns have now scored at least 50 points seven times in the Coach Steve Sarkisian era. It also marked the first time the Longhorns blanked an opponent to begin the season since Sept. 4, 2004, when UT beat North Texas, 65-0. It was UT’s first shutout overall since Oct. 8, 2022, when it beta Oklahoma 49-0 in Dallas.
Last Game
The Horns were up just 7-0 after one quarter against Colorado State but took control in the second quarter as QB Quinn Ewers connected with first-year Longhorns Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond for three second-quarter passing touchdowns. Those TDs — combined with a 45-yard field goal off the foot of Bert Auburn — ballooned the Longhorn lead from 7-0 to 31-0 by halftime and gave UT its largest halftime lead since Nov. 19, 2022, when Texas led Kansas, 31-0, at intermission.
Quinn Ewers
Ewers completed 10-of-13 passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns during the second quarter as the Texas offense compiled 155 yards on 20 plays as the defense held Colorado State to just 44 on 16 plays from the line of scrimmage. Ewers, among the Heisman favorites, finished 20-for-27 passing for 260 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Ewers became just the seventh player in program history to pass for 40-or-more career touchdowns, becoming the first since Sam Ehlinger (2017-20). Ewers are now 125 yards shy of passing Vince Young (2003-05) for seventh on the program’s career passing yardage list.
Arch Manning
Touted Texas backup quarterback picked up right where Ewers left off when the New Orleans native entered the game with 4:04 remaining in the third quarter with the Longhorns leading 38-0 following the first career rushing touchdown.
A win Saturday would mark Texas’ second AP Top-10 road win over the last two seasons and give UT the eighth consecutive regular season road victory overall. The Longhorns sport a 139-165-8 (.458) all-time record against ranked foes, including a 36-50-0 (.419) on the road. It would also be victory No. 950 in program history, with UT ranking tied for fourth all-time at 949.
Texas is 11-11 all-time when the Horns are one of the teams in ESPN College GameDay’s featured matchup, as this will be. This will be UT’s first regular season matchup against a Big Ten team since 2018 when the Longhorns opened the season at Maryland.
^Michigan Wolverines +236
Michigan opened defense of its national championship with a 30-10 win over Fresno State, although that score is a bit misleading, as UM had only 16 points through 54 minutes of play. Driving late, looking to cut its deficit to one score, an 86-yard Will Johnson pick-six ended Fresno State’s chances.
Colston Loveland
Wolverines tight end put together a career game, posting 87 yards on a career-high eight receptions and a game-sealing 19-yard touchdown catch with 5:43 remaining in the game. Loveland is 29 receiving yards shy of 1,000 for his career. He would be the sixth tight end in program history to reach 1,000 receiving yards. Following a trio of Kalel Mullings rushes for 42 yards in a 16-10 battle, Davis Warren dropped back in play action and fired a line drive to Loveland on an in route, who took the ball the remaining nine yards for the score.
Kalel Mullings
In total, the Wolverines posted 269 total yards (121 passing, 148 rushing). Mullings, the game’s leading rusher, posted a career mark of 92 yards on the ground on 15 attempts, while Warren finished the game 15-25 passing for 118 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Defensively, U-M held the Bulldogs to nine rushing yards, including -16 rushing yards in the second half. Michigan did not allow a 100-yard rusher in all the 2023 season. The Fresno State offense was limited to 2-of-11 on third down. Edge rusher Josaiah Stewart enjoyed his second multi-sack game as a Wolverine (2.0) with 3.0 tackles for loss in total. He was one of 21 players across the FBS with two or more sacks last weekend. Johnson’s pick-six was his second career, and one more would give him the school record.
Dominic Zvada
The kicker proved crucial to the victory, converting on all three of his field goal tries, two of which came from over 50 yards (53, 55). He joined Quinn Nordin (2017 vs. Florida) as the only U-M kickers with multiple 50-plus yard field goals in the same game. Zvada was named Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week.
U-M is now up to 29 straight regular season wins (dating to 2021), the most by any Big Ten team in conference history (previous: 28; 1901-03 Michigan, 2005-07 Ohio State). It has won 23 straight contests at Michigan Stadium, the third-longest streak in U-M history and longest since 1969-73 under Bo Schembechler. The Wolverines have scored 30+ points in 16 of their last 19 contests.
Michigan will face an SEC school for the 40th time in school history, and holds a 26-12-1 all-time record against schools from the league.
^Texas at Michigan NCAA Football Info
When: Saturday, noon ET
Where: Michigan Stadium
TV: FOX
Stream: Fox Sports Go
Radio: Tunein.com
Texas vs Michigan Series History
These blue blood programs have met just once previously, a 38-37 Texas wins in the Rose Bowl following the 2004 season. Vince Young had 372 total yards & 5 total TD for UT, which won on a 37-yard field goal by Dusty Mangum as time expired. Michigan will visit Texas in 2027 for the second leg of the home-and-home series. The schools both rank Top 5 in most wins by a program in college football history.
^Vince Young shocks Michigan with a 60 yard TD
— Longhorn🤘Highlights (@LonghornClips) September 6, 2024
Texas Longhorns vs Michigan Wolverines in the Rose Bowl
Jan. 1, 2005 pic.twitter.com/aDHeaayW1J
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