Defense / ST notes: Will Johnson pick-six, pass rush lift Michigan to victory over USC

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines football‘s 27-24 win over USC to open the Big Ten season was a journey of ups and downs — similar to the range of emotions fans felt when junior defensive tackle Kenneth Grant recovered a fumble, ran with the ball and then coughed it up to USC, which got a whole new set of downs late in the third quarter.

“Obviously a great player trying to make a great play,” junior defensive lineman Mason Graham noted. “He was trying to take it back, didn’t see the guy. It’s just a football play. We’re gonna line up again — it doesn’t really matter what happens.”

Michigan lined it up and allowed a touchdown, one of 3 that quarterback Miller Moss threw, but the Wolverines also had their fair share of success against the lethal Trojans’ offense.

Michigan had 2 sacks and got constant pressure on the quarterback in the first half. Before the break, the Trojans only had 3 points and 118 total yards.

“Just wins in our one-on-ones,” senior EDGE Josaiah Stewart, who led the team with a pair of sacks, said of what he saw from the pass rush. “[Michigan defensive coordinator] Coach Wink [Martindale] will put us in great positions to make plays, and we just gotta go and execute on our matchups.”

Michigan’s defensive line also contributed to holding the Trojans to only 96 rushing yards. They had only 8 rushing yards in the first half, turning to the pass early. Moss completed 28 of his 51 attempts.

“I kinda feel like that’s always the game plan going into every game,” Graham said of making USC rely heavily on the pass. “Stopping the run, making a team one-dimensional helps us execute on defense, and that’s what we did.”

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Another reason why Michigan was able to build a 14-3 halftime advantage was due to the offense moving the football and setting the defense up in advantageous spots. The Trojans’ average starting position in the first half was the 16.2-yard line. Senior punter Tommy Doman executed 3 punts that were downed inside the USC 20-yard line and had 2 long boots of 50-plus yards.

“Tommy Doman gave us some great field position, so thanks to him, fasho,” Stewart said with a smile.

Michigan CB Will Johnson injured after pick-six

Michigan junior cornerback Will Johnson provided the spark the Maize and Blue needed in the third quarter. Michigan failed to pick up a first down and totaled only 6 yards in the stanza, clinging to a narrow 20-17 lead by the end of it.

The Wolverines wouldn’t have been able to still have the lead if it weren’t for Johnson’s 42-yard pick-six in which he jumped in front of a Moss-thrown pass and took it to the house.

“I just think it was a great play by a great player,” Graham said with a smile.

Johnson now has three career interceptions returned for touchdowns — the most in Michigan history.

“You’ve guys have seen it plenty of times,” Stewart said. “He’s good for at least one.”

Johnson left the game early in the fourth quarter. He underwent an X-ray, according to CBS, but emerged from the tunnel with his helmet on before Michigan’s final defensive possession to seal the win. Head coach Sherrone Moore said he was available to return.

“He could have came back in, but we held him,” the first-year head man said. “He’s in a good place.”

Michigan managed without him. USC got the ball back down 27-24 with 37 seconds remaining and no timeouts, but the Wolverines forced a turnover on downs at the USC 37-yard line with eight seconds to go.

“I thought those other guys did an outstanding job,” Moore said of the defensive backs.

“Well, once he went down, we always say, ‘No matter who’s in the game, we know we have expectations, so do your job, do what you gotta do and ball out,'” junior nickel back Zeke Berry said. ‘So, that’s it.”

Berry notched 5 tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and added a pass breakup. Sophomore cornerback Jyaire Hill paced the squad with a pair of pass breakups, including one with 23 seconds to go.

“Jyaire had a hell of a game,” Berry said. “He did great in his prep throughout the week of practice for USC. So him coming out here and showing what he can do helped us a lot on the defensive side.”

Miscellaneous Michigan football defense notes

• Junior kicker Dominic Zvada missed an extra point following Johnson’s touchdown. That was his first missed extra point on the season — he’s now 10-of-11 on PATs.

• Michigan had 8 tackles for loss, the program’s most in a game since notching 10 in a 27-20 overtime win over Alabama in the CFP semifinal at the Rose Bowl.

• Michigan’s 8 pass breakups are the most the Wolverines have had since registering an identical number in a 26-20 victory over Iowa in last season’s Big Ten championship game.

• Michigan’s first forced fumble of the season was by Stewart on the ball Grant recovered. The Wolverines’ second lost fumble of the campaign was by Grant on the same play. The other lost fumble was by junior tight end Colston Loveland against Texas Sept. 7.

• USC started the game with three-consecutive three-and-outs, totaling 0 yards in that span that included the entire first quarter. USC didn’t have a first-half drive that resulted in a three-and-out this season coming into the game.

• Michigan has only allowed 1 rushing touchdown this season (against Texas).

• Michigan’s -16 rushing yards allowed in the first half is the lowest amount allowed since hosting UNLV last season (-16).

• Stewart has 6.5 tackles for loss on the season, leading the Maize and Blue.

• Graham and Hill led U-M with 6 tackles a piece. That marked a career-best for Hill.

• Eight different USC pass-catchers had a reception, but only one went for more than 50 yards — slot receiver Zachariah Branch (98).