ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Kalel Mullings surged 2 yards for a touchdown run on fourth down with 37 seconds left, lifting No. 18 Michigan to a 27-24 win against No. 11 USC on Saturday, welcoming the Trojans to the Big Ten with a heavy dose of smashmouth football.
The Wolverines (3-1, 1-0) overcame losing a 14-0 lead in the first half and coughing up two fumbles in the second. They won with a 10-play, 89-yard touchdown drive, with Mullings doing most of the work. He capped it with his second touchdown of the game, this one running behind a fullback in a jumbo package that left little doubt where the ball was going.
“It’s not five guys, it’s seven with the tight ends out there,” Mullings said.
The Trojans (2-1, 0-1) went ahead 24-20 midway through the fourth when Miller Moss threw his third touchdown pass, a 24-yarder to Ja’Kobi Lane.
USC’s last chance ended with a fourth-down throw coming up short of the line to gain near midfield.
Mullings had a career-high 159 rushing yards, including a 53-yard scoring run to put the Wolverines ahead early, and Donovan Edwards had a 41-yard run to give them a two-touchdown lead.
“That’s just a representation of who we are,” Mullings said. “Shout out to the offensive line.”
Moss was 28 of 51 for 283 yards with a season-high three touchdowns and a costly interception.
USC’s Woody Marks ran for 100 yards on 13 carries and ripped the football out of defensive tackle Kenneth Grant’s hand after he recovered the big defensive tackle had recovered a fumble for Michigan.
Moss bounced back from throwing a pick-six to Will Johnson that gave the defending national champions a double-digit lead in third quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jay Fair later in the quarter and his third touchdown pass to Lane with 7:01 left in the fourth.
Michigan needed a touchdown, trailing by four, in the final minute to win because USC defensive tackle Gavin Meyer blocked the extra-point attempt after Johnson’s interception return for a touchdown.
It also needed the clutch score because Edwards fumbled to set up a Trojans touchdown, Grant’s fumble helped the Big Ten newcomers score — and Michigan didn’t have a passing threat.
“Teams are going to stack the box and stop the run, and we still have to run the ball,” Mullings said. “It feels great to be able to do that and dominate.”
Alex Orji made his first start at quarterback and was 7 of 12 for 32 yards and ran 13 times for 43 yards.
“If we threw for a million yards today and we lost, I’d be sitting here crying,” Orji said.
The takeaway
USC’s revamped defense under new coordinator D’Anton Lynn held up well in the second half against an opponent that couldn’t pass. And then it broke on Mullings’ long, tackle-breaking run and couldn’t complete the goal-line stand.
Michigan coach Sherrone Moore earned his first signature win as Jim Harbaugh’s successor, making enough moves that panned out in what was potentially a pivotal game in his first season.
Banged up
USC receiver Makai Lemon left the in the first quarter after taking a hit while covering a punt. Trojans tight end Lake McRee was hit hard on his left knee, taking another target off the field for Moss.
Johnson left the field in the second half with an apparent injury.
“He could’ve came back in,” Moore said.
Poll implications
Michigan may move up for the first time this season in the AP Top 25 and will extend a 51-week run of being ranked since early in the 2021 season. USC might slip a little.
Up next
USC: Hosts Wisconsin on Saturday.
Michigan: Hosts Minnesota on Saturday.
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