3 massive observations from Texas’ Citrus Bowl beatdown of Michigan

In what was the final game of Texas' 2025 season, they managed to dole out some punishment to a pretty good Michigan squad led by true freshman star QB Bryce Underwood.

Despite the game being close throughout the first three quarters of play, the Longhorns were able to absolutely dominate in the fourth and pull away for good.

It was an incredibly impressive win by a shorthanded Texas team that was down a handful of starters on both offense and defense. Multiple players stepped up and Longhorn Nation, as well as the coaching staff, were able to get a good feel of what they have in the younger or less experienced players on the roster heading into the 2026 season.

Here are three big takeaways or observations from tonight's game:

1. Ty'Anthony Smith is the real deal

With Anthony Hill Jr., Liona Lefau, and Trey Moore gone in 2026, the team needed one of the younger linebackers to step up and show something in this game. Smith undoubtedly did that as he was a force against both the run and pass, combining for 9 total tackles, 1 TFL, and 2 interceptions.

Though Smith has played quite a bit in 2025, he never made this type of impact in a single game, and it's incredibly exciting for the program. There's a decent chance that Smith could slide into Anthony Hill Jr.'s role at MIKE in 2026, especially if he gains some weight in the offseason.

2. Arch Manning has wheels like a Ferrari

Everyone knew that Arch was able to make plays with his legs, but he legitimately outran every Michigan defender tonight, multiple times.

He finished with 9 rushes for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns against highly-touted Michigan front seven.

3. The team might have something in Warren Roberson

Roberson has played very little in 2025 compared to the team's other cornerbacks in terms of overall snap count. That didn't seem to hold him back tonight as he had multiple nice pass breakups in crucial spots for Texas.

With Malik Muhammad, Jaylon Guilbeau, and Santana Wilson out for this game and gone for 2026, seeing Roberson step up against the Wolverines was a breath of fresh air. Similar to Smith at MIKE, there's a chance that Roberson could compete for a starting spot at boundary corner next season opposite Kobe Black.