Michigan edges out USC in Big Ten-opening thriller

ANN ARBOR – The Michigan Wolverines moved to 3-1 on the season with a 27-24 win over the USC Trojans, thanks to a touchdown from running back Kalel Mullings with 37 seconds left in the game.

The Wolverines welcomed the Trojans to the Big Ten with 290 yards rushing, headlined by Mullings’ 159-yard, 2-touchdown performance. Alex Orji got the start at quarterback, going 7-for-12 passing for 32 yards and adding 13 carries for 43 yards.

Michigan was without tight end Colston Loveland in the contest, in addition to losing Will Johnson late in the game. Still, U-M found a way to overcome it all to grab a much-needed signature victory.

Here’s the recap from Saturday’s win in Ann Arbor.

First quarter

USC won the opening coin toss and deferred its choice to the second half, giving the U-M offense the ball first at its own 25-yard line. The Wolverines moved 19 yards in seven plays, including a fourth-down conversion, but ultimately had to punt it away, giving the Trojans the ball on the 6-yard line with 10:18 remaining in the first quarter. Michigan forced its first three-and-out of the game, forcing a punt and getting the ball back on their own 43-yard line after a penalty (8:29). U-M’s offense followed it up with a three-and-out of its own, punting back to USC, who took over on its own 20-yard line with 6:37 to go.

USC had its second three-and-out of the day, punting back to Michigan, who took over on its own 37-yard line with 4:50 remaining. The Wolverines got it rolling on the next drive, going 63 yards on five plays. The drive was capped off by a 53-yard Mullings touchdown, his third of the year, to put U-M up 7-0 with 3:10 to go in the quarter. The defense responded with its third consecutive three-and-out, giving way to the offense after a USC punt down to the U-M 25-yard line. With Michigan facing a third-and-4 from the 31-yard line, the clock expired on the first quarter.

MICHIGAN 7, USC 0

Second quarter

The series would end, after seven plays and 27 yards, in another Michigan punt, down to the USC 13-yard line with 12:07 left in the half. Michigan’s defense got off the field after four plays (allowing 11 yards) and the offense took over at its own 20-yard line at the 10:47 mark. Six plays and 80 yards later, the Wolverines found the end zone again, this time on a 41-yard touchdown run from Donovan Edwards to bring the score to 14-0 after the extra point (7:14).

USC put together its best drive of the half after the U-M score, going 64 yards in eight plays to get a field goal on the board from 29 yards out with 4:15 to go in the quarter. On its last drive of the opening half, Michigan went 23 yards in eight plays but then punted down to the USC 8-yard line. USC reached midfield, but a sack from defensive tackle Kenneth Grant ended the half with Michigan up 14-3.

MICHIGAN 14, USC 3

Third quarter

The Trojans came out of the locker room on a mission, going 75 yards in 12 plays and capping things off with a 9-yard pass from Miller Moss to Duce Robinson, closing the deficit to 14-10 with 9:10 remaining in the quarter. On the following drive, Michigan went three-and-out on offense, punting back to USC down to the 34-yard line with 6:58 to go. On the third play of USC’s next drive, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson intercepted Moss and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown, extending U-M’s lead to 20-10. Dominic Zvada missed his first extra point of the year, though, leaving the score 20-10 with 5:26 left in the third quarter.

A wild turn of events occurred on the next drive. USC drove down the field 66 yards in six plays before Moss fumbled the ball to Grant, who ran down the field before having the ball stripped by USC RB Woody Marks at the 27-yard line. That gave possession back to the Trojans, who scored two plays later on a 16-yard pass from Moss to Jay Fair. After the extra point, USC trimmed Michigan’s lead to 20-17 with 1:27 to go.

Michigan’s offense went three-and-out on its next drive before the quarter expired.

MICHIGAN 20, USC 17

Fourth quarter

Michigan’s Tommy Doman punted 58 yards down to the 10-yard line, and the defense rose to the occasion with a Mason Graham sack and ultimately, a three-and-out for the Trojans. U-M took back over at the 33-yard line with 12:36 remaining before going three-and-out for the fourth time in this game, putting down to the USC 20-yard line with 11 minutes to go.

Michigan stepped up on defense on the following possession, allowing just 18 yards on six plays before USC punted it back to them with 8:33 to go. On U-M’s first play from the 12-yard line, Edwards fumbled the ball back to USC, which took over at the 18-yard line and scored three plays later on a 24-yard touchdown from Moss to Jakobi Lane on third-and-16. After the extra point, USC led 24-20 with 7:01 to go.

The Wolverines went three-and-out on their next drive, handing it back to USC on its 38-yard line. The Trojans would also go three-and-out, punting back to Michigan down to the 11-yard line with 4:02 to go. U-M got into scoring territory on a 63-yard run from Mullings, down to the 17-yard line before the two-minute timeout. Mullings capped off the drive on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with his second rushing score of the day, giving Michigan the lead back 27-24 after the Zvada extra point with 37 seconds remaining.

Michigan held strong on defense, getting USC off the field in six plays and handing things back off to the offense, who kneeled it out to secure victory.

FINAL: MICHIGAN 27, USC 24

Michigan vs. USC final box score