Citrus Bowl 2025: Longhorns gear up to take on Michigan

Texas Longhorns to play in Citrus Bowl

When Texas takes the field on New Year's Eve against the Michigan Wolverines, they'll be missing a few key pieces. FOX 7 Austin's Dennis de la Peña has more from Orlando.

AUSTIN, Texas - The No. 14 Texas Longhorns are set to take on the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando.

What we know:

When Texas takes the field on New Year's Eve, the Horns will be missing several key pieces.

They will be without many of their starters, including its top two rushers, CJ Baxter and Tre Wisner, due to transfers and NFL opt-outs. 

This will also be the first Longhorn game of the Steve Sarkissian era without defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, who had been with the team for five seasons. He was fired earlier this month after the Longhorns missed the College Football Playoff for the first time in three years, says the Associated Press. 

His replacement is former Florida and South Carolina coach Will Muschamp, who had previously been Texas's defensive coordinator from 2008-2010.

What they're saying:

Colin Simmons, All-American edge and UT sophomore, and Ty Anthony Smith, linebacker and fellow sophomore, spoke on going forward without Kwiatkowski.

"Yeah, that one hurt a little bit.  With PK being my coach coming in from high school.  You know, putting me in the right positions to go make plays and stuff like that," Simmons said. "But you know, like Coach Nansen said, it's a business."

"Obviously, I wasn't as happy when he left," Smith said. "But just being excited. Understanding that the future for him, whatever it holds, he'll go there and do great things."

UT co-defensive coordinator Johnny Nansen and offensive coordinator Kyle Flood also talked about the changes and the impact on the team.

"They're used to change.  We understand with guys opting out, and now coaches and changes like this.  We understand it's part of the business and players have been great at handling [it]," Nansen said. "So, it's just part of it."

"There's an exciting part to it as well where you get some younger players who maybe didn't have as big a role during the regular season," Flood said. "Now their role gets to expand. And I think for us as coaches, that's really exciting. Because not only does it give them a chance to impact the game this week. But you get a little glimpse maybe of what is coming in the future."

What's next:

The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl is set for 3 p.m. Dec. 31.