It was a tale of two halves in Ann Arbor, but it was the home team that officially welcomed USC to the Big Ten.
The reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines, ranked 18th in the country, found the end zone with under a minute to go for a 27-24 victory over the 11th-ranked Trojans.
Michigan failed to get a first down in its first five drives of the second half after racking up over 200 yards of offense in the first. However, on third and 1 with just over two minutes to go, Kalel Mullings got the Wolverines within striking distance with a 63-yard run to the USC 17.
Seven plays later, Mullings found the end zone on a fourth and goal from the 1-yard line to put Michigan up, 27-24, with 37 seconds left. A stop would have all but given the Trojans the victory.
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Michigan running back Kalel Mullings (20) runs against USC during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (Junfu Han/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
USC had no timeouts when it got the ball back, and the Trojans failed to cross the first-down marker on fourth and 9 from their own side of the field, giving Michigan the victory.
Michigan led 14-3 at the half, but USC came out of the locker room with a 12-play touchdown drive. Michigan had a pick six on USC’s next drive, but its next turnover didn’t result in a similar fate.
A Trojan fumble was recovered by Michigan inside the 10-yard line, but Wolverines’ defensive lineman Kenneth Grant lost a fumble of his own on the return. So, USC had another set of downs, and the Trojans took advantage by scoring a touchdown two plays later to make it a 20-17 game.
After Donovan Edwards lost a fumble on Michigan’s own end, USC scored to take a 24-20 lead three plays later. But when it needed it the most, the Trojan defense was unable to get a stop.
Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards (7) receives congratulations from teammates after he rushes for a touchdown in the first half against the USC Trojans at Michigan Stadium. (Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)
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Michigan got the ball back with four minutes to go, after it failed to get a first down in each of its first five possessions of the half.
The Wolverines showed USC what Big Ten and Michigan football is all about, rushing for 290 yards and throwing for just 32. Mullings led the way with 159 yards on the ground and two touchdowns on 17 carries, while Edwards found the end zone while running for 74 yards on 14 attempts.
Miller Moss completed 28 of his 51 attempts for USC for 283 yards, three touchdowns and a pick.
Kalel Mullings (20) of the Michigan Wolverines runs away from defenders for a touchdown during the first half against the USC Trojans at Michigan Stadium Sept. 21, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
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It was a much-needed win for Michigan (3-1), which had a tough loss to Texas, which is now No. 1, at the Big House two weeks ago. A loss, even with a 12-team playoff, would have been detrimental to their postseason hopes. It will be interesting to see where USC, which entered as a four-point favorite, will fall in the polls.
Michigan is back home next week for a Big Ten matchup against Minnesota, while USC (2-1) will host Wisconsin for its first home Big Ten battle.
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