TEXAS NOTES
THE OPENING KICKOFF • Texas continues its 132nd season of football at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 7, when it faces No. 9/8 Michigan on the road in Ann Arbor, Mich. The game will broadcast on FOX and be part of FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff. • For the sixth time over the last four seasons, the Longhorns will appear on ESPN’s College GameDay as the pregame show airs from Ann Arbor, Mich., this upcoming Saturday. • Texas and Michigan will clash for just the second time in history and the first time since Jan. 1, 2005. In their lone meeting, UT defeated the Wolverines, 38-37, at the 2005 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. • Last week, Texas topped Colorado State at home, 52-0, to open the season. • The showdown in Ann Arbor, Mich., marks the second straight season in which the Longhorns will play a non-conference road game at an AP Top-10 opponent. Last season, Texas trekked to then ranked No. 3/3 Alabama and took down the Crimson Tide, 34-24, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. • Texas currently boasts 949 all-time wins, tied for fourth-most in college football history. UT holds an all-time record of 949-392-33 (.702). The Longhorns’ 949 wins are the second most by an SEC team following Alabama’s 965 victories. • The game will feature two of last year’s four CFP teams.
SERIES HISTORY VS. MICHIGAN • Texas and Michigan meet for just the second time in history and first, since 2005 when the Longhorns captured a 38-37 victory at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. • The back-and-forth affair ended with a 37-yard game-winning field by Longhorn kicker Dusty Mangum. • The Longhorns will be making their first trip to Ann Arbor, Mich. • It’ll be Texas’ first regular season matchup against a Big Ten team since 2018 when the Longhorns opened the season at Maryland.
TOP 10 ROAD TEST • The road matchup at No. 9/8 Michigan marks the second-straight season in which Texas travels to an AP Top-10 non-conference opponent during the regular season. Last year, Texas traveled to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face No. 3/3 Alabama. The Longhorns defeated the Crimson Tide, 34-24 – the victory marked Texas’ first-ever non-conference road win against an AP Top-3 opponent. • The Longhorns sport a 139-165-8 (.458) all-time record against ranked foes, including a 36-50-0 (.419) on the road.
A TEXAS WIN WOULD … • Be Texas’ 950th all-time victory, the fourth winningest program in college football history. • Give Steve Sarkisian his 73rd victory as a head coach and 27th at Texas in his 122nd career game as a head coach. • Grant Texas its eighth straight win at home, dating back to the 2022 season. Texas did not drop a home game during the 2023 season. • Mark Texas’ first-ranked road win of the 2024 season and its second AP Top-10 road win over the last two seasons. • Move the Longhorns to 2-0 all-time against the Wolverines. • Give UT its eighth consecutive regular-season road win, dating back to the 2022 season.
BY THE NUMBERS 1 Texas embarks on its first season as a member of the Southeastern Conference in 2024. 2 Last season, Texas ranked second in the nation allowing opponents to convert on just 26.6 percent of their 3rd-down tries. 4 Junior QB Quinn Ewers had the fourth most passing yards in single-season program history after throwing for 3,479 yards in 2023. 9 The Longhorns finished the 2023 season ranked ninth nationally in total offense after averaging 477.5 yards of total offense per game (14 games). 11 The Longhorns dipped into the transfer portal this offseason, welcoming 11 new Longhorns to the Forty Acres. 16 The Longhorns intercepted 16 passes in 2023, tied for 10th-most in the nation and the most for Texas since 2017 (16). 31 31 Longhorns played in their first game for Texas in last Saturday’s win vs. Colorado State. 82.4 Last season, the Texas defense surrendered only 82.4 rushing yards per game, the third-fewest in the nation. 143 Senior PK Bert Auburn scored 143 points in 2023, a record for a UT kicker and the third-most in a season in program history. Auburn’s 143 points also ranked second in the nation, trailing Michigan RB Blake Corum’s 168. 296.2 Junior QB Quinn Ewers averaged 296.2 yards of total offense per game last season, which leads all returning SEC quarterbacks in 2024.
SHUT ‘EM OUT • With Texas’ 52-0 win over Colorado State, it marked the first time the Longhorns have shutout an opponent to begin the season since Sept. 4, 2004, when UT beat North Texas, 65-0. • Courtesy of its defensive effort, Texas recorded its first shutout since Oct. 8, 2022, when the Longhorns knocked off Oklahoma, 49-0, in Dallas. • The 52-point margin of victory marked the highest by the Longhorns since beating Rice, 58- 0, on Sept. 18, 2021. LEADING THE WAY • Texas’ 31-point halftime lead against the Colorado State Rams was the largest for the Longhorns since having a 31-0 lead over Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas on Nov. 19, 2022. • Per research gathered by Danny Davis of the Austin American-Statesman, sophomore RB Quintrevion Wisner’s 3-yard rushing touchdown to cap the Longhorns’ second drive of the afternoon was the first rushing touchdown by Texas to open a new season since the 2014 campaign. • Malcolm Brown scored the first touchdown of the 2014 season with a 1-yard touchdown run during the first quarter of Texas’ 38-7 victory over North Texas on Aug. 30, 2014. • Wisner’s first-quarter rushing touchdown was the first of the season for the Glenn Heights, Texas native and second in his last four games after scoring on a 10-yard run with 38 seconds left in the Longhorns’ 57-7 win over Texas Tech on Nov. 24, 2023. SPREADING THE LOVE • 77 Texas players (51 in the first half) saw the field against the Colorado Rams last Saturday. • Five players scored their first touchdowns at Texas. • Eight players recorded rushing attempts. • 12 players caught passes (10 in the first half). • 28 players logged at least one tackle. • 31 players played in their first game as a Longhorn (13 true freshmen, three redshirt freshmen, 11 transfers and four walk-ons). QUARTERBACK MAGIC • Saturday afternoon’s game marked the first time two Longhorn football student-athletes have tossed at least one touchdown in the same game since Oct. 1, 2022, when Hudson Card (3) and Xavier Worthy (1) combined for four passing touchdowns. • It was also the first time two UT quarterbacks have each thrown a touchdown in the same game since Nov. 13, 2021, when Casey Thompson (6) and Hudson Card (1) totaled seven passing touchdowns against Kansas.
MICHIGAN NOTES
What You Need to Know
• This will be the second meeting between Michigan and Texas.
• The Wolverines have scored 30+ points in 16 of their last 19 contests.
• U-M has won 41 of its last 44 games and has a 23-game winning streak at Michigan Stadium.
• The Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week, Dominic Zvada kicked three field goals from 45+ yards in his U-M debut (45, 53, 55).
• Will Johnson matched the school record with his second career interception for a TD against Fresno State (86 yards).
Michigan vs. SEC Schools
• Michigan is no stranger to the Southeastern Conference and will face an SEC school for the 40th time in school history.
• The Wolverines have a 26-12-1 all-time record against schools from the SEC.
• This will be the 18th time that Michigan faces a Southeastern Conference school in a bowl game.
• The Wolverines have a 9-9 mark against the SEC in bowl games.
• The most recent bowl match-up with the SEC came in the 2023 CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl, a 27-20 overtime victory over Alabama on New Year’s Day.
• The Wolverines have yet to face Louisiana State in a cross-conference match-up; U-M has played both Missouri (2-2) and Texas A&M (2-1) in the past but those games were prior to their inclusion in the SEC.
• The match-up with Texas takes place prior to their first official conference game as a member of the SEC.
Wolverines and Longhorns
• This will be the second meeting between the Wolverines and Longhorns.
• It will be the first-ever matchup during the regular season; the two programs are scheduled to play in Austin on Sept. 11, 2027.
• Texas won the only previous meeting, a 38-37 affair on a last-second field goal in the 91st Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1, 2006.
• Michigan linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary spent two seasons as the linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator at Texas (2015-16) under Charlie Strong.
• The Wolverines have seven players that hail from the state ofTexas: RB Tavierre Dunlap (Del Valle), DL Enow Etta (Keller), OL Blake Frazier (Austin), DL Ike lwunnah (Garland), DB Ricky Johnson (Houston), QB Alex Orji (Sachse) and DB Max Reyes (Southlake).
• Saturday’s game is also a matchup between two of the nation’s top five winningest teams: Michigan (1st, 1005 wins) and Texas (4th, 949).
The TEAM
• Michigan has the nation’s longest winning streak at 16 games; won a school record 15 contests in 2023 en route to the national championship and posted a 30-10 win over Fresno State in the 2024 season opener.
• U-M has won 41 of its last 44 football games dating back to the start of the 2021 season.
• The Wolverines have won a record 29 consecutive regular-season games; surpassing the 28-game streaks held by Michigan (1901-03) and Ohio State (2005-07) for the longest winning streaks in Big Ten history.
• The Maize and Blue are in the midst of a school record 25-game winning streak against conference teams, which includes the past three Big Ten Championship Games; surpassing the 19-game mark set from 1990-92 under coach Gary Moeller.
• The Wolverines have been victorious in 11 straight road league games (dating to Penn State, 2021 ), the longest streak for the program since Michigan won 17 games from 1988-92; tied for the fifth-longest streak in Big Ten history.
Game Notes Nuggets
• U-M’s 2024 schedule includes four foes ranked in the preseason AP Top 25. The Wolverines will face the first of those four opponents this weekend against Texas (No. 4 in preseason poll). The other three opponents are No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Oregon, and No. 23 USC.
• Michigan has won 29 straight regular season games (dating to 2021), the most by any Big Ten team in conference history (previous: 28; 1901-03 Michigan, 2005-07 Ohio State).
• U-M has 23 straight wins at Michigan Stadium, the third-longest stretch in program history and longest since 1969-73 under Bo Schembechler.
• The following players were named to 2024 Preseason Award Watch Lists: Donovan Edwards, Colston Loveland, Semaj Morgan, Alex Orji, Davis Warren on offense; Jaishawn Barham, Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Will Johnson on defense; William Wagner and Dominic Zvada as specialists.
• Graham, Loveland, and Johnson each earned preseason All-America honors (first team) from at least two outlets.
• Running back Donovan Edwards caught two passes last weekend including a touchdown, bumping him to 70 career receptions, fourth-most all-time among running backs. With 13 more catches, he’ll tie B.J. Askew (1999-2002) for third-most all-time; Jamie Morris has the record with 99 career catches (1984-86).
• Edwards is also 96 yards from the career receiving yards record by a back (810; held by Anthony Thomas, 1997-2000).
• Running back Kalel Mullings set new career-highs in carries (15) and rushing yards (92) against the Bulldogs.
• Signal caller Davis Warren made his first start at quarterback and connected with Colston Loveland for his first career touchdown pass. Alex Orji also threw his first career touchdown, the first score of the game to Edwards.
• When he caught his career-high eighth reception against Fresno State, Colston Loveland became the first tight end with eight-plus catches in a game since Erick All (2021, 10 catches vs. Michigan State).
• 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.
• Michigan’s defense received top marks from Pro Football Focus (PFF). The unit is tied-20th in overall defense (83.8), 17th in pass rush (74.9), and ninth in run defense (90.8).
• Fresno State was limited to nine total rushing yards, including -16 in the second half. That figure (nine rushing yards allowed) was the third-lowest across the FBS in week one. U-M did not allow a 100-yard rusher across all of the 2023 season.
• 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.
• Defensive lineman Rayshaun Benny recorded the second sack of his career last weekend, and tied for the team lead with five total tackles.
• Defensive linemen accounted for 16 of the team’s 69 pass breakups last year, led by Kenneth Grant‘s five, plus two of the team’s 18 interceptions (26.1 percent of all breakups/interceptions). Grant got right back in the PBU column again to start the 2024 season with a pass breakup in the fourth quarter.
• Defensive back Will Johnson recorded an 86-yard interception returned for a touchdown in the game’s final minutes, marking the second of his career (at Minnesota, 2023). One more pick-six would give Johnson the career record at Michigan.
• Kicker Dominic Zvada converted field goal tries of 45, 53, and 55 yards in his Wolverine debut. He became the second-ever U-M kicker with two makes from 50-plus yards in the same game (Quinn Nordin vs. Florida, 2017), and his 55-yarder is the sixth-longest in program history.
• The only made field goal longer than Zvada’s 55-yarder across week one in the FBS was the 59-yarder made Georgia Tech’s Ryan Fitzgerald.