Presser Notes: Michigan Loses 41-27 to Texas in Cheez-It Citrus Bowl

Written By Rodney Potts

No. 18 Michigan finished their season with a 9-4 record after a 41-27 loss to No. 13 Texas (10-3) in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. The game featured starting quarterbacks Ohio State faced in 2025 on both sides, and will subsequently play once again in 2026. Michigan interim head coach Biff Poggi and senior linebacker Jimmy Rolder both spoke to the media after the disappointing finish to their year.

Poggi took over the vacant head coaching position for the Citrus Bowl after the firing of Sherrone Moore on Dec. 10, 2025. The veteran coach had already filled that spot during the Wolverines’ self-imposed two-game suspension of Moore in weeks 3 and 4 of the 2025 season. That punishment was in relation to Moore’s reported level two violation as a part of the infamous Connor Stalions advanced scouting scandal under Jim Harbaugh.

Arch Manning

The Wolverines started strong under Poggi, but struggled on both sides of the ball in the second half as Texas quarterback Arch Manning began to take over. When asked about the difficulty of defending Manning, Poggi was quick to compliment the third-year Longhorn.

“He’s an exceptional player. … When you look at him on the field, he’s big and strong. But I had no idea he was as athletic as he is. He is a force to be reckoned with.”

Manning tore through the Wolverines defense, finishing 21-of-34 with 221 passing yards and two touchdowns. He added 155 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, including a game-clinching 60-yard touchdown run with 5:06 to play.

Rolder called Manning “dangerous” and said he “can make every throw” when asked about his impressions of the quarterback. The team’s leading tackler and second-team All-Big Ten linebacker finished with just four tackles on the day. Manning struggled at times near the beginning of the season, including in the 14-7 loss to Ohio State on August. 30, 2025. He would improve down the stretch, with this win over Michigan being perhaps his best performance of the year. Manning and the Longhorns will look to carry that momentum into next season, where they will face the Buckeyes once again on Sept. 12, 2026 in Austin, Texas.

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BRYCE UNDERWOOD

While Manning caught fire in the second half, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood found much less success. After a solid first half with two passing touchdowns, all three of his interceptions came in the second half, two coming in the fourth quarter on crucial drives while trailing. Despite struggling to find any offensive production in the last 30 minutes of play, Poggi was still adamant in his belief of the true freshman quarterback.

“He’s a wonderful kid with a huge upside. … I thought he had a great game. He just made a few bad decisions at the end. But he’ll learn. All these things are learning things for him. So much of playing quarterback is experiential.”

Underwood had a rather inconsistent season overall, finishing with just 11 passing touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He also added an additional 392 yards and six scores on the ground. His rollercoaster performance against the Longhorns was a fitting end to his first season. The young signal caller is still full of potential, but has plenty to improve upon for the road ahead, as Michigan looks to bounce back in 2026.

REBUILDING?

Knowing this would be his last game for the Wolverines with former Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham taking over in 2026, Poggi was asked if he felt like the program was in a rebuilding phase.

“This isn’t a rebuild at all. That would be short-changing the kids and where they are. And I think coach Whittingham is going to do a fantastic job here.”

Whittingham stepped down on Dec. 12, 2025 after 21 seasons as the head coach of the Utes. He finished his tenure with a record of 177-88, including three conference championships and three national coach of the year awards. He was later announced as the Michigan head coach on Dec. 26, 2025, signing a five-year deal to lead the Wolverines.

The Michigan program is in a strange position with Whittingham now at the helm. Utah never made a CFP appearance under him, despite finishing just outside, looking in multiple times. They will look to get back into the postseason after two consecutive lackluster years following their national championship win in 2024. Hiring Whittingham after a tumultuous season on and off the field is likely a step in the right direction.

For Texas, they will look to capitalize on another year of Arch Manning, with Steve Sarkisian attempting to finally break through to a national championship run.

Rodney Potts