Arch Manning puts on dual-threat show in Texas' Citrus Bowl win over Michigan
Manning threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 155 yards and two scores in Texas' 41-27 win over Michigan in the Citrus Bowl.
Arch Manning capped off 2025 with his best dual-threat game of the season.
The redshirt sophomore quarterback threw for two touchdowns and ran for two others — one of them by outracing the entire defense for 60 yards — to lead No. 13 Texas past No. 18 Michigan 41-27 in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Eve at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Manning, the nephew of Super Bowl champion quarterbacks Peyton and Eli, had nine carries for 155 yards and was 21-for-34 for 221 passing yards, earning him the Citrus Bowl MVP. He finished the season with a 10-3 record as the starting QB.
Arch thus follows in the footsteps of Uncle Peyton, who 30 years ago led Tennessee past Ohio State 20-14 in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day 1996. Peyton also led the Vols past Northwestern 48-28 in the 1997 Citrus Bowl and was named MVP.
“Nothing against the Citrus Bowl,” Arch Manning said Wednesday. “I don’t want to have to play in it twice.”
With Michigan leading 27-24 in the fourth quarter, Manning engineered a nine-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with Manning’s 30-yard touchdown strike to Kaliq Lockett with less than seven minutes left.
Dropped in a bucket 🎯 pic.twitter.com/tCDjZUdwQQ
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) December 31, 2025
On the next Texas possession, Manning faked a handoff, burst through a gaping hole in the line and outraced everyone to the end zone for a 60-yard touchdown that gave Texas an 11-point lead with 5:05 left in the game.
Y'all see that speed? 👀 pic.twitter.com/JmOoz6VKlG
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) December 31, 2025
Manning’s bowl game performance came four months after a shaky start to his season, a 14-7 loss at Ohio State in the season opener in which he completed 17 of 30 passes for only 170 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. Five weeks later, he threw two picks in a 29-21 defeat at Florida.
But since those early struggles, Manning threw 15 touchdown passes and only two interceptions in winning seven of eight games. During the regular season, he passed for 2,942 yards and 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He said he’s returning to Texas for his junior season in 2026.
Two items on next season’s agenda will be first and foremost in Austin — qualifying for the CFP and getting Manning into the Heisman Trophy running.
“We have to attack this off-season, getting these new guys, whether it’s the high school guys or portal guys and keep our guys, attack winter workouts and continue to be better leaders and get this thing going,” Manning said. “The standard is the standard at Texas. Got to keep it going and have a good 2026.”