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Jake Trotter, ESPN Editor-in-Chief
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan kept pounding the ball. And when it mattered most, No. 11 USC couldn’t stop it.
Led by running back Kalel Mullings, who scored the game-winning touchdown in the final seconds, the defending national champion Wolverines cruised to a 27-24 victory in their Big Ten opener on Saturday.
“It’s a representation of who we are,” Mullings said of Michigan’s run-heavy game plan. “Just have to be brave and fight … fight through it all.”
The Wolverines ran for 290 yards, including 79 on the final drive. Mullings had all eight carries and managed to weave his way through two tackles for a 63-yard run that put Michigan in the red zone. He finished the drive with a 1-yard plunge to score on fourth-and-goal with 37 seconds left.
“A willingness to not give in,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said of his senior guard. “A willingness to want more than them. Want more than the guy who’s trying to tackle him.”
The 18th-ranked Wolverines (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) prevailed despite allowing just 32 passing yards, their fewest since 1987, according to ESPN Research. Michigan’s 32 yards through the air were the fewest by any FBS team in a win over a top-15 opponent since 2014, when Florida beat Georgia by 27 rushing yards.
“I love it,” said Moore, a former college offensive lineman at Oklahoma. “You want to throw the ball, but when you can run the ball effectively, you break (the defense) down.”
Mullings finished with a career-high 159 yards on 17 carries, scoring another touchdown in the first quarter with a 53-yard sprint through the middle of the USC defense.
Donovan Edwards added 74 yards rushing, including a 41-yard touchdown run. But his fourth-quarter fumble gave USC (2-1, 0-1) the ball deep in Michigan territory, and Miller Moss’ 24-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Kobi Lane gave the Trojans their first lead of the game with just over 7 minutes left.
Michigan turned to Mullings for the rest of the game. And Moore said the Wolverines left the game in the hands of Mullings and the offensive line, especially on fourth-and-goals.
“The game is on the line,” Moore said, “what are you going to do?”
Mullings followed fullback Max Bredeson, who delivered the kick block, paving the way for Mullings to score the winning score.
“We knew we were going to get there,” quarterback Alex Orji said. “It was just confidence. Do or die, backs against the wall.”
The Wolverines switched starting quarterbacks this week, from Davis Warren to Orji. Warren had thrown six interceptions in three games, including three last weekend against Arkansas State. Orji had only attempted seven career passes before the game, and he only attempted 12 against USC, completing seven of them. But Orji ran for 43 yards, giving the Wolverines an offensive identity they lacked, especially in a 31-12 loss to Texas in their second game.
Michigan ran for 199 yards in the first half alone, the most yards USC has allowed in a first half since Lincoln Riley became its coach in 2022.
“Basically, we knew they were going to run the ball,” USC linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold said, “and it was just a one-on-one battle to see who could win — and that’s what they did.”
With an inexperienced quarterback, Moore said he challenged his team to be more physical against the Trojans. The Wolverines were without All-America tight end Colston Loveland, who missed the game with an undisclosed injury. That put even more emphasis on the running game.
“The guys stepped up,” Moore said. “I’m really proud of what they did and how they played.”
ESPN’s Paolo Uggetti contributed to this report.
