It was a strange sight so unfamiliar to Michigan football that it was last seen during a period when games were played at an empty Big House during the middle of a global COVID-19 pandemic.

That was in 2020, when the Wolverines were headed nowhere fast, with a 2-4 record.

Back then, the program’s fans didn’t experience the misery of defeat in person, absorbing the agony while watching television on their sofa at home. But on Saturday, the Maize and Blue supporters who stayed for the duration of No. 3 Texas’ 31-12 rout of No. 9 Michigan were subjected to every gory detail of their team’s demise.

The Longhorns (2-0) came to Ann Arbor and conquered the reigning national champions swiftly, dismantling Michigan’s vaunted defense and suppressing its feckless offense.

"For us, it's a loss," Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. "You haven't had one of these in a long time, so you definitely feel it."

The Wolverines (1-1) next Saturday host Arkansas State, then see USC come to town Sept. 21. Texas hosts UTSA next week.

Here's what stood out from Michigan's first loss since its defeat to TCU in the Fiesta Bowl in the 2022 College Football Playoff national semifinal.

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The resounding defeat snapped a 29-game winning streak in the regular season. It affirmed fears the Wolverines are on a downswing after enjoying a remarkable run when they won 41 of 44 contests, including last week's opener, became the kings of the Big Ten and claimed the sport’s greatest prize this past January.

In the aftermath of that seminal achievement, many of the best players from the 2023 team departed, including 10 of 11 starters on offense. Head coach Jim Harbaugh bolted to the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers, triggering a regime change and a major makeover within the defensive coaching staff. His replacement, Moore, promised to keep the core principles of the program intact — telling reporters at his introductory news conference “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”

But by mid-afternoon Saturday, everything had been shattered — Michigan’s aura of invincibility, its durable winning formula and even its pride.

At the outset, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian dialed up some clever plays, designed to use the Wolverines’ aggressiveness against them. The mix of play-action passes, screens and quick throws blunted Michigan coordinator Wink Martindale’s pressure tactics and mobilized Texas’ attack, allowing it to build rhythm and momentum.

"I think they did a great job with the offense that they came out and presented to us," safety Quinten Johnson said.

Harnessing the power of quarterback Quinn Ewers, a former Ohio State transfer, and a mammoth offensive line, the Longhorns pecked away at Michigan on their first possession. They advanced the ball 51 yards on 13 plays before bogging down just outside the red zone and watching a 43-yard field-goal attempt by Bert Auburn sail wide right.

But while Texas’ opening drive didn’t yield any points, it wasn’t entirely fruitless. It drained nearly six minutes off the clock and sapped energy from a Michigan defense that doesn’t have the same depth in the front seven as it did last year, when it led the nation in points and yards allowed per game.

The vulnerabilities in Martindale’s unit were further exposed over the course of a first half when the Longhorns dictated the terms of the game — something Michigan repeatedly had done the past three seasons while claiming conference championships.

On Texas’ ensuing possessions, Ewers tapped into his vast arsenal. He leaned on his fleet of running backs, Jaydon Blue, Quintrevion Wisner and Jerrick Gibson. He forged a connection with Gunnar Helm, a tight end who maneuvered between linebackers and defensive backs to get open. When needed, he targeted his speedy wideouts, Isaiah Bond and Matthew Golden.

Ewers then pulled all the right levers, launching an all-out assault on Michigan in the Big House.

The first strike came with 4:14 left in the first quarter, when he flung a 21-yard pass to Helm in the end zone to push the Longhorns in front, 7-0. From there, Texas’ full-scale bombardment left Michigan in a pile of rubble.

The Longhorns scored 17 points on their next three possessions, opening a 24-3 lead before the break. Gibson scored on a 7-yard run midway through the second quarter, capping a soul-sucking 12-play, 76-yard drive.

Then Golden delivered a gut punch, when he caught a 5-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds remaining before halftime.

JEFF SEIDEL: Texas dismantles Michigan, revealing many issues for Wolverines along the way

Wolverines rendered punchless

The Wolverines were in tatters, having been shredded by Texas’ relentless offense and Ewers, who posted a gaudy stat line: 24 completions on 36 attempts, 246 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Like a tank turret, the Longhorns' quarterback blasted away — shooting passes in all directions and frustrating the Wolverines by extending drives. His nifty work in the pocket helped Texas convert 8 of its 10 third-down opportunities in the first half, when the Longhorns exceeded Michigan’s time of possession by more than eight minutes.

Texas’ ball dominance was a recipe for disaster for the punchless Wolverines.

After all, the offense remained in sleep mode following a somnolent Week 1 performance, when they moved the ball only 269 yards and scored two touchdowns in a lackluster 30-10 victory over Fresno State that sparked concern.

On consecutive possessions in the second quarter, the Wolverines exacerbated their struggles by self-destructing, killing any momentum they may have gained from an early drive that produced a 37-yard field goal by Dominic Zvada.

Quarterback Davis Warren threw a risky, inaccurate pass to Tyler Morris, which was tipped and snagged by Texas defensive back Andrew Mukuba in a congested area. Minutes later, tight end Colston Loveland — the only viable receiving threat in Game 1 — inexplicably fumbled away the ball when he tried to transfer the ball to one hand following a catch.

The crowd groaned, sensing doom for their beloved Wolverines. Their suspicions would be affirmed over the rest of the game, as both Warren and a sputtering ground attack failed to generate much oomph. Warren completed 22 of 33 attempts and threw for 204 yards, but was intercepted twice before he fired a meaningless 31-yard touchdown strike to Semaj Morgan with two minutes left in regulation. The Wolverines' top three running backs, meanwhile, gained just 80 yards on 17 carries and became marginalized as Michigan tried, in vain, to erase its huge deficit with its unreliable passing game.

"We've just got to take each play by play, drive by drive, and go execute," Loveland said. "And we just didn't do that enough."

So, for the first time in a while, disaster had befallen Michigan.

It was a strange sight, indeed.

Rainer Sabin is in his sixth season covering college football at Michigan, Michigan State and the Big Ten for the Detroit Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan humbled by Texas in 31-12 smackdown