No. 3/3 Football dominates in road win at No. 10/9 Michigan

Saturday, September 7

Ann Arbor, Mich.

11 a.m. CT

University of Texas

2-0 , 0-0

No. 10/9 Michigan

1-1 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Texas

Michigan

TE Gunnar Helm hauls in a reception in the first quarter.

No. 3/3 Football dominates in road win at No. 10/9 Michigan

09.07.2024 | Football

Box Score

Gunnar Helm hauls in a career afternoon in Texas’ route of Michigan in Ann Arbor

By: Chris Allen Brown

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The only band on Saturday afternoon that honored the victors was The University of Texas Longhorn Band as the third-ranked Texas Longhorn football program beat the 10th-ranked Michigan Wolverines 31-12 to mark the first-ever win at the Big House for UT.

The victory by Texas marks the 140th all-time victory for the Longhorns against a ranked opponent with 37 coming on the road and the 950th all-time victory for UT. In addition, Texas earned its first victory over an Associated Press top 10 ranked team for the second consecutive season after knocking off then-No. 3 Alabama, 34-24, in Tuscaloosa, Ala., during the 2023 campaign.

Despite the noise produced by 111,170 fans packed inside Michigan Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the Texas offense combined 246 passing yards with 143 rushing yards to outgain the Wolverines, 389-284 and earn the Longhorns' first win on the road against a reigning national champion since Oct. 13, 1998, when UT beat Nebraska, 20-16, to end the Cornhuskers' 47-game home winning streak.

Even after both teams traded non-scoring opening drives to begin the game, it was Texas that broke through in the scoring column first as quarterback Quinn Ewers and tight end Gunnar Helm connected for a 21-yard scoring play when the Southlake native found the Colorado native in the back of the end zone after breaking through a collapsing pocket. It was Helm's first touchdown since Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, when the 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end caught a 31-yard pass from Ewers during the fourth quarter of Texas' 26-16 victory against Iowa State in Ames, Iowa.

Despite Michigan (1-1) cutting its deficit to four points following a 37-yard field goal by Dominic Zvada less than two minutes into the second quarter. However, Texas (2-0) responded with 17 unanswered points after Jerrick Gibson found the end zone from seven yards out.

Following a 26-yard field goal from Bert Auburn, Ewers and first-year Longhorn Matthew Golden connected for a 5-yard scoring reception to extend Texas' lead to 24-3 with just 10 seconds remaining before halftime.

As both teams' offense battled back and forth over the course of the first 10 minutes of the third quarter, it was Michigan that added to its point total first during the second half when Zvadad booted a 52-yard field goal attempt through the up rights with just five-and-a-half minutes remaining in the third quarter. But Texas immediately responded with a 7-yard scoring reception as Ewers and Jaydon Blue connected for the quarterbacks' third passing touchdown on the afternoon to extend the Longhorns' lead to 31-6.

The third-quarter scoring drive was the fourth different scoring drive throughout the afternoon that featured at least one reception by Helm, who finished with a career high 98 receiving yards on seven receptions that occurred on just seven targets from Ewers.

UP NEXT

Texas will look to extend its winning streak to three consecutive games when the Longhorns take on UTSA at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14.

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