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Jake Trotter, ESPN Senior Writer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Vince Young and Texas came to Big Ten country 19 years ago and delivered a statement. Unflappable, Young propelled those Longhorns past No. 2 Ohio State, setting the stage for Texas’ magical run to the national championship that ended with Young’s iconic dash past the Rose Bowl pylon.
The Longhorns were back in the Big Ten on Saturday. And behind another unflappable quarterback, Texas again delivered a statement — this time in the Big House — that these Longhorns are primed for their own title run.
Behind junior quarterback Quinn Ewers, who, like Young did, keeps saving his best performances for the brightest lights, Texas thoroughly dismantled No. 10 Michigan on the way to a resounding 31-12 victory.
“This one game isn’t going to define our season,” Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian said afterward. “But I think it would serve as a pretty good barometer of the type of team that we could be.”
With the levelheaded Ewers, these Longhorns could be a team that wins its first national championship since 2005.
Facing a Michigan defense still loaded with multiple future first-round NFL draft picks, including defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson, Texas moved the ball at will. The Wolverines blitzed. They dropped back. They disguised coverages. They tried everything. Nothing worked against Ewers.
“We did a really good job playing with poise and composure,” Ewers said.
The Longhorns converted seven of their first eight attempts on third down, with Ewers finding receivers over and over. He even converted on the other third-down attempt, but his scrambling, 24-yard touchdown strike to DeAndre Moore Jr. on the opening drive was negated by a holding call.
That penalty led to a missed field goal, but it didn’t matter. Ewers came back and continued completing passes.
“There’s something about Quinn in his demeanor. He’s a very calm guy. He’s really collected. He never rides the emotional rollercoaster,” Sarkisian said. “When you’ve got a quarterback that everybody can believe in, that just fuels confidence and belief that, ‘Hey, let’s go do our part, because the guy that’s holding the ball every play he’s on point.'”
The Longhorns have reason to believe in Ewers, who is now the only FBS quarterback in the country since the start of last season to throw three touchdowns without an interception against multiple AP top-10 opponents, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Last year, Ewers passed for 349 yards in a victory over then-third-ranked Alabama.
Against Michigan, Ewers was just as prolific. He completed 24 of 36 passes for 246 yards, as Texas scored on four straight drives in the first half, including three touchdowns, to put the Wolverines on their heels.
He tossed a 21-yard touchdown to tight end Gunnar Helm, who finished with a career-high seven receptions for 98 yards. Then, after a Michigan fumble in the final minute of the first half, Ewers completed four straight passes, capped with a 5-yard touchdown throw to Matthew Golden on third-and-goal with 10 seconds to go. The pass put Texas up 24-3 and, effectively, put the Wolverines away.
“When he’s confident [we feel] unstoppable,” Golden said of Ewers. “We [feel like] we can score 60.”
But with an improved offensive line now seemingly built for the SEC, and a defense that overwhelmed the Wolverines, Texas won’t need to score 60 to keep winning games.
Michigan produced only 88 yards of offense in the first half, and managed to get off only nine plays the entire first quarter — their fewest in a first quarter since 2011, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
When Ewers swung a 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Jaydon Blue late in the third quarter, the Big House began to empty out.
“I was hoping to learn about ourselves,” Sarkisian said. “Would we be overwhelmed by the environment?
“Our guys played a very composed football game. They played tough, they played physical. … We weren’t really trying to come to prove anything. We wanted to play our brand, our style of football.”
Nineteen years ago, the Longhorns learned in Week 2 at Ohio Stadium that they had a special quarterback who could lead them to victory against anyone anywhere. Then Young did just that, leading Texas to a dramatic win over USC at the Rose Bowl.
The Longhorns have another special quarterback now. And while other tests lie ahead, Ewers showed again, that with him, Texas is ready to beat anyone anywhere.