Matthew McConaughey makes Quinn Ewers feelings clear as Texas torches Michigan

Hollywood superstar Matthew McConaughey lavished Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers with praise after a sparkling first-half performance on the road at Michigan.

No. 3-ranked Texas (1-0) traveled to The Big House in Ann Arbor to face the reigning national champions, and they romped into a commanding 24-3 lead at the halfway point over the No. 10 Wolverines.

Ewers completed 18 of 26 passes for 203 yards and two touchdowns as the Longhorns stormed into a 24-3 lead at the half, and superfan McConaughey, dressed head to toe in burnt orange tones, joined the FOX broadcast crew to discuss the big talking points during the interval.

He zeroed in on the performance of his team's quarterback, telling host Rob Stone and his crew: "There's a lot to be happy about in the first half on both sides of the ball. I think we can easily say [Ewers] is pretty talented. The defensive line is getting to him and he's stepping up in the pocket and he made a lot of plays doing that. He looks really poised.

"The pressure is getting there, but he is stepping up in the pocket and still making plays before he's crossed the line of scrimmage. The poise back there, he looks great, and the receivers are getting open. The O-line is giving him just enough time to do what he needs to do."

Redshirt junior Ewers is in his third campaign as the Longhorns' starter and led the team to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season, coming out on the wrong side in a thriller with Washington. The 21-year-old and his head coach Steve Sarkisian have high hopes of going a step further and reaching the National Championship Game this term, and if they close out the win at Michigan it would be a huge statement of intent to their rivals.

Panelists Brady Quinn, Mark Ingram, Matt Leinart and Urban Meyer were highly impressed by McConaughey's level of analysis during his appearance on the "Big Noon Saturday" coverage. Quinn said: "I've heard enough, you're hired. Do you want to come with us next week to Madison, Wisconsin [for the Badgers' game against Alabama]? You're coming along with us, buddy. This has been great."

McConaughey jokily replied that he would be unavailable as he would be back in Austin to watch the Longhorns in action at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium against the University of Texas at San Antonio. He concluded his appearance on FOX with a tribute to the sport of college football as he soaked up the incredible atmosphere with a capacity crowd of 110,000 at The Big House.

"How beautiful is college football on a day like today? This atmosphere, these two teams, the south playing the north and these two uniforms on the same field together. I've been wanting to see this for a long time," he said. Texas leads 31-6 late in the third quarter.