I've been covering Texas football on a professional level since 1994 and I have never seen the Longhorns play better in a true road game against a quality opponent.
Ever.
If there's ever been a better true road game performance than today's in Ann Arbor, you guys are going to have to tell me what it is because these eyes haven't seen it. This was a complete 31-12 dismantling of the defending national national champions... an outfit that does not lose at home.
Until today... by a lot.
It was a statement performance by the entire team and the message in that statement is that you better approach this 2024 Longhorns team at your own risk. Oh, and Quinn Ewers is headed for New York, pending 11 more games of good health.
Honestly, it's a damn shame this team has a game next week because it deserves to soak in this performance for a few days. Instead, they'll hear a lot about rat poison and the need to take UTSA seriously, which is fair and true. Still, they deserve to tear up dirty 6th for at least two nights.
That's the weight that championship level teams have to carry and that's what this team is.
Onwards we go...
(Other thoughts on the game...)
* Texas won the turnover battle 3-0. That'll do.
* As far as I'm concerned, that was the best game of Ewers' career. He was sensational. I don't care that the game-rating (151.6) would suggest that he's been better in other games. He was better today than he was at Alabama last year.
* Ewers by quarter...
(1st Q): 9 of 12 for 103 yards and a touchdown (174.6 rating)
(2nd Q): 9 of 14 for 100 yards and a touchdown (147.9 rating)
(3rd Q): 6 of 8 for 43 yards and a touchdown (161.4 rating)
(4th Q) 0 for 2 for 0 yards (0.0 rating)
* This Texas secondary is really, really good.
* With 3:29 left in the third quarter... it was checkmate.
* Jaydon Blue really needs to stop making alignment mistakes in the red zone. I counted two today.
* The officials really should have thrown a flag on Michigan for a late a hit on Quinn Ewers. That was crystal clear, but I guess it wasn't for the officiating crew.
* D.J. Campbell was outstanding today, but some NIL money needs to be spent tonight on a steak dinner for protecting his quarterback.
* Shout out to the entire Texas offensive line. You won that battle and few thought you could, let alone would. You wouldn't even know any of these Michigan defensive linemen's names if you had never seen or heard of them before today. Stonewalled.
* There aren't many nitpicks from this game, but I can't say that I have noticed Trey Moore through the first two games of the season. I thought he'd splash a little more than he has thus far.
* Colin Simmons got his first career sack in the fourth quarter. Expect 2-3 dozen more over the next few years.
* That first half might have been the best half of football I have ever seen from a Texas football team in a true road game.
* Holy hell, what a move in space a previously injured Jaydon Blue put on Michigan's Jyaire Hil at the end of the second quarter to help set up the third touchdown.
* Andrew Mukuba with a pick on third down after Malik Muhammad help break the play up with tight coverage. That was one of the first times in the game that the secondary was challenged and they responded with a game-changing play. Mukuba made some money today.
* The first three drives of offensive play-calling is as good as I've ever seen Sark. On the road against the defending champs and he just put them in a blender.
* Jerrick Gibson is better than I thought he was. Apologies to Jerrick for doubting him.
* Passing game targets in the first half: Helm (6), Blue (6), Golden (4), Wisner (4) and Bond (3)
* Tre Wisner was excellent in the first half (46 total yards) when Blue went out with the leg injury.
* Gunnar Helm is better than Ja'Tavion Sanders? It's a question that can be taken seriously, right? All he did in the first half was catch a team-best 6 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown.
* Ewers in the first two drives of the game: 9 of 12 for 103 yards and a touchdown (174.6 rating).
* Three and out for the Texas defense on the first Michigan possession of the game. That was pretty much the perfect start for a defense that wanted to establish itself against the Michigan run game.
* No points after 3 third down conversions on the first drive of the game. That can't happen again.
* Cam Williams had two false starts and a holding penalty on the first drive, which resulted in three third and long situations, while wiping out a Deandre Moore touchdown on a separate third down situation. It's the worst single series I can remember a Texas offensive lineman having in a long time.
* That was some catch and throw from Ewers to Bond on the opening 3rd a d 13 of the game. Bond did a sensational job of holding on to the ball upon contact.
* Ewers' line at Prizepicks was 246.5 yards. He finished with 246 yards passing. The fourth quarter penalty on Amari Niblack wiped out the passing play that would have put him over the 246-yard mark. Sad face emoji.
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