Michigan’s win over USC was no walk in the park. They needed the full sixty minutes and all their energy to defeat the Trojans 27-24.

After the game, USC head coach Lincoln Riley reflected on what happened Saturday afternoon at Michigan Stadium and revealed what he believes was the main reason for USC’s loss.

“What hurt us was the big plays,” Riley said. “I think every drive they scored on, they had an explosive play. We probably won 80-85% of the defensive snaps, but the ones we lost, we lost by a lot.”

Riley is correct in his analysis of the big plays. On Michigan’s three offensive drives, they had a 53-yard touchdown run by Kalel Mullings, a 41-yard touchdown run by Donovan Edwards, and on the game-winning run, Mullings had a 63-yard run that put Michigan in the red zone. Another big touchdown came on Michigan cornerback Will Johnson’s 42-yard pick-six.

“They had some great plays and we pressured them a lot in the backfield,” Riley said. “I think it was a classic back-and-forth battle.”

While big plays gave Michigan the win, smaller gains also helped break the dam. Michigan rushed for 290 yards and passed for just 32. The Wolverines prevailed, defeating USC by just enough to secure a win and improve their record to 3-1 on the year.