Quinn Ewers, Texas humble Michigan’s defense in blowout win

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Though Texas and Michigan never faced each other during last year’s College Football Playoff, with the former falling to Washington and the latter disposing of Alabama in their respective semifinals, the two programs were unquestionably among the four best teams in the country. And given how close the Longhorns’ game against the Huskies proved to be — a 37-31 defeat that was whittled down to the final few seconds — it’s easy to argue that Texas and Michigan were both among the top three in the sport.

But so much has changed since those national semifinals in January, and what unfolded on Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor was proof that only one of these programs remains among the elite — at least as far as the 2024 season is concerned. Fresh off a demolition of Colorado State to open the campaign, No. 3 Texas stormed north and scored arguably its most impressive victory since head coach Steve Sarkisian took over four years ago. From the opening kickoff to the final snap, the Longhorns pummeled the defending national champions, 31-12, in what is certain to be remembered as a differentiating performance between CFP hopefuls.

An offense led by quarterback Quinn Ewers, who was so efficient in completing 24 of 36 passes for 246 yards and three scores that he was rested for large chunks of the second half, sliced and slashed what was supposed to be the strength of this Wolverines’ team, further hamstringing a woeful Michigan offense. A double-digit first-half lead was more than enough for Texas to keep its tepid opponent at bay and send droves of fans to the exits before the first snap of the fourth quarter.

Here are some quick takeaways from Michigan Stadium:

Early difference

What the first half of Saturday’s game showed, more than anything, was the glaring disparity between an offense that scores for fun and an offense that seems challenged by the general concept — regardless of which quarterback, running back or collection of wide receivers it trots on the field. The Longhorns traveled to Ann Arbor knowing they possessed one of the most explosive units in the country, with last week’s 52-0 demolition of Colorado State offering nearly 550 yards of proof. The Wolverines entered Week 2 having only pulled away from Fresno State in the fourth quarter, with a chunk of their eventual separation provided by a lengthy pick-six from All-American cornerback Will Johnson.

The discrepancy revealed itself almost immediately, even before the game’s opening series, when the visitors won the coin toss and elected to receive. From that point forward, the Texas offense gained at least 42 yards per drive — or scored — on five consecutive possessions until Sarkisian’s team had built a 21-point lead before halftime. A missed field goal on the opening drive was followed by two touchdowns, a field goal and another backbreaking touchdown with 0:10 remaining in the second quarter after an untimely fumble by Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.

Such efficiency was little more than a pipe dream for a Michigan offense around which more and more questions will swirl, especially with a Sept. 21 game against high-powered USC looming. The Wolverines gained 19 yards or fewer on five of their first six possessions as neither the running from tailbacks Donovan Edwards (eight carries, 41 yards) and Kalel Mullings (six carries, 25 yards) nor the passing from quarterback Davis Warren (73 passing yards through three quarters) seemed to bother Texas, a group that navigated more than seven full quarters before allowing its first touchdown of the season.

Play of the game

Trailing 17-3 after Texas kicker Bert Auburn connected on a 26-yard field goal, the Wolverines sorely needed an impressive and effective showing from their two-minute offense to narrow the margin before halftime. A two-score deficit might already have been too much for this offensively challenged Michigan team to overcome, but surely anything more would have spelled defeat before the first 30 minutes had elapsed.

A quick third-down conversion from Warren to wideout Semaj Morgan injected the maize-clad faithful with life on an afternoon when moving the chains — let alone scoring — proved exceedingly difficult. But soon enough, the possession crumbled in devastating fashion.

Warren threw high and incomplete on a pass up the seam to Morgan, who had found plenty of space amid the Texas secondary for a lengthy gain, the kind of completion that would have flipped the field. And the missed opportunity was compounded moments later when Loveland, the team’s best offensive player, fumbled the ball without being touched by a defender. The Michigan sideline was in disbelief, begging for the officials to rule the pass incomplete, to no avail.

Texas took over at the Michigan 42-yard line and reached the end zone six plays later on a short pass from Ewers to wideout Matthew Golden. That stretched the Longhorns’ lead to 21, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Key stat

As Texas’ offense marauded up and down the field in the opening half — amassing more than 275 yards and scoring 24 points against a defense brimming with NFL Draft picks, the ease with which Ewers and his running mates succeeded on third down supplied one incremental dose of frustration after another to an expectant crowd still soaring from last year’s national championship. By converting eight times on their first 10 attempts, the Longhorns sustained possession after possession to create an alarming imbalance in both time of possession and offensive snaps, the totality of which almost surely incited fatigue for the Wolverines, who lost a handful of key defensive contributors to the NFL Draft.

And nothing about these third-down conversions was simple, a fact that will surely aggravate Michigan’s first-year defensive coordinator, Don “Wink” Martindale, when he watches the film. On the strength of Ewers’ poise and mobility, Texas successfully converted all four of its third-and-short opportunities ­— but more importantly, the Longhorns succeeded 50% of the time on third-and-9 or longer to suck the momentum from a crowd that was desperate for Michigan to get off the field.

A combination of precision throws from Ewers and hard-charging runs from a stable of runners — all of whom combined for 143 yards on 32 carries — humbled the Wolverines’ defense at every level on one series or another. Texas finished with an average of 6.2 yards per play on third down.

What’s next for Texas?

In the same way that last year’s Week 2 win over then-No. 3 Alabama fortified Texas’ résumé for the final iteration of the four-team College Football Playoff, an authoritative blowout of No. 10 Michigan will serve as a feather in the Longhorns’ cap from now through the end of the season. The question of whether Sarkisian’s high-octane offense would muster the same explosiveness against the Wolverines, whom many described as being among the best defenses in the country, was answered quite resoundingly by halftime, let alone the final horn. Whether on the ground or through the air, Texas shredded Michigan with relative ease, even with starting tailback Jaydon Blue — himself a backup during fall camp before injuries struck — missing a significant portion of the first half with a lower-body ailment. In racking up 389 yards and more than 30 points, the Longhorns proved that this offense will travel and can challenge any defensive coordinator in the country. Texas returns home for two non-conference games against UTSA and UL Monroe before hosting Mississippi State in its SEC debut later this month.

What’s next for Michigan?

An unconvincing and question-raising performance against Fresno State in the season opener gave way to a borderline embarrassing showing during Saturday’s loss to Texas, a game that had been billed as one of the marquee non-conference showdowns on the college football calendar, the reigning national champions tangling with another national semifinalist from 2023 in a battle between the sport’s two premier conferences. Considering that backdrop, nearly everything about Michigan’s showing against the Longhorns should be viewed through a lens of disappointment. The defense, which was the Wolverines’ supposed strength, proved incapable of getting off the field when facing a quality opponent. The offense, which was already facing significant scrutiny, flopped on one possession after another, regardless of whether offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell called runs or passes. Michigan has one final tune-up against Arkansas State next week before welcoming USC to Ann Arbor on Sept. 21. And there’s plenty for Moore and Co. to fix.

Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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