ANN ARBOR, Michigan – Michigan welcomed USC to the Big Ten with a healthy dose of smashmouth football.
Kalel Mullings scored a 2-yard touchdown on the fourth and decisive attempt with 37 seconds left to help the 18th-ranked Wolverines to a 27-24 victory over the 11th-ranked Trojans in their conference debut.
Michigan (3-1, 1-0) squandered a 14-0 first-half lead and conceded two fumbles in the second half to extend its Big Ten winning streak to 26 games, a school record.
The Wolverines won with a 10-play, 89-yard touchdown drive in which Mullings did most of the work.
The former linebacker converted a third down attempt from Michigan’s 20-yard line with a 63-yard run and capped the possession with his second touchdown behind a fullback in a jumbo package that left little doubt where the ball would go.
“There are not five guys, there are seven tight ends out there,” Mullings said.
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Michigan and USC had previously played each other ten times, eight times in the Rose Bowl and not in the regular season since 1958.
The Trojans (2-1, 0-1) took a 24-20 lead midway through the fourth quarter when Miller Moss threw his third touchdown pass, a 24-yard pass to Ja’Kobi Lane.
USC’s last chance ended with a fourth-down shot that missed the bat near the center line.
“I think it was just a classic back-and-forth battle,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said.
Mullings rushed for a career-high 159 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown run that gave the Wolverines an early lead, and Donovan Edwards scored on a 41-yard run that gave them a two-touchdown lead.
Moss completed 28 of 51 passes for 283 yards, scoring three touchdowns (a season high) and throwing an interception that provided Michigan’s only other touchdown of the second half.
“I feel like I did a lot of damage to our team,” Moss said.
USC’s Woody Marks rushed for 100 yards on 13 attempts and ripped the football out of Kenneth Grant’s hands after the big defensive tackle recovered a fumble for Michigan.
Moss recovered a pick-six on Will Johnson that gave the defending national champions a double-digit lead in the third quarter and then completed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jay Fair later in the quarter. His third touchdown pass came to Lane with 7:01 left in the fourth quarter after Marks stole a ball deep in Michigan territory.
Trailing by four points in the final minute, Michigan needed a touchdown to win because USC defensive tackle Gavin Meyer blocked the extra point after Johnson’s interception return for a touchdown.
The decisive point was also necessary because Edwards had a fumble that would have allowed the Trojans to score a touchdown – and Michigan had no chance with a pass.
“Teams will occupy the box and stop the run and we still have to run with the ball,” Mullings said.
Alex Orji started as quarterback for the first time and completed 7 of 12 passes for 32 yards and ran 13 times for 43 yards.
“If we had thrown a million yards today and lost, I would be sitting here crying,” Orji said.
The conclusion
USC’s defense, reorganized under new coordinator D’Anton Lynn, controlled most of the plays, but allowed three long runs and failed to stop the opponent at the goal line.
“We were missing a game,” Riley said.
Moore earned his first win as Jim Harbaugh’s successor, making enough moves in what could be a crucial game of his first season to pay off.
“Our players never batted an eyelid and we are really proud of that,” he said.
Battered
USC receiver Makai Lemon left the field in the first quarter after taking a hit while covering a punt. Trojans tight end Lake McRee was hit hard on the left knee, making Moss a target again. Riley did not provide an update on her condition after the game.
Johnson left the field in the second half, apparently due to injury.
“He could have come back,” Moore said.
Colston Loveland, Michigan’s preseason All-America tight end, was unable to play in the game after suffering an injury last week.
Impact of the survey
Michigan could move into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season, extending its streak to 51 consecutive weeks of being ranked since the start of the 2021 season. USC could slip a bit in the poll.
Next
On Saturday, USC hosts Wisconsin.
Michigan hosts Minnesota on Saturday.
– Larry Lage | AP Sports Writer
