(BCSNN) - Texas didn’t flinch. Not when Michigan punched first. Not when the Wolverines reclaimed the lead in the fourth quarter. And certainly not when the game demanded a quarterback capable of lifting a program on his shoulders.

On Wednesday afternoon at Camping World Stadium, Arch Manning became that quarterback.

Behind a dynamic, career‑defining performance from the sophomore, No. 14 Texas surged past No. 18 Michigan 41–27 in the Cheez‑It Citrus Bowl, closing the season at 10–3 and offering a glimpse of what the Longhorns might soon become.

Manning accounted for 376 total yards and four touchdowns, earning MVP honors after throwing for 221 yards and two scores and rushing for 155 yards and two more. It was the seventh time this season - and the third straight game - that he recorded both a passing and rushing touchdown, a sign of a player who has not only settled into the role but begun to reshape it.

For a Texas team that spent much of the year searching for its identity, Manning’s performance felt like a corner turned.

Texas needed every bit of it.

Michigan struck early, taking a 10–3 lead after the first quarter and later going ahead 17–10. But the Longhorns responded with resilience that has defined their late‑season surge. Manning hit tight end Jack Endries for a 17‑yard touchdown to tie the game before halftime, then opened the second half with a nine‑play, 80‑yard march capped by a 23‑yard scoring run to give Texas a 24–20 lead.

When Michigan reclaimed the advantage at 27–24 with 10:54 remaining, Texas didn’t blink. Manning found true freshman Kaliq Lockett for a 30‑yard touchdown - the first of Lockett’s career - to put the Longhorns back in front with 6:54 left.

And then came the moment that will be replayed in Austin for years.

After linebacker Ty’Anthony Smith intercepted Bryce Underwood with 5:15 remaining, Manning took the first snap of the ensuing drive, saw daylight, and exploded for a 60‑yard touchdown run, a dagger delivered with the confidence of a quarterback who finally looks like the player Texas believed he could become.

Smith added a second interception moments later, and Mason Shipley’s 51‑yard field goal sealed the win.

Christian Clark complemented Manning’s heroics with 105 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Ryan Wingo led the receivers with 64 yards, while Endries and Lockett each hauled in touchdown passes. Emmett Mosley V added five catches for 51 yards.

Defensively, Texas played its best football late. Smith posted nine tackles and two interceptions, Kade Phillips added eight stops and two tackles for loss, and the Longhorns generated three sacks and three takeaways.

Texas’ resilience defined the afternoon. Manning’s brilliance defined the future.

The Longhorns didn’t just win a bowl game - they walked off the field looking like a team that found its quarterback, its identity, and its next step.