Michigan Football: Tony Garcia and Rainer Sabin analyze USC surprise
“Hail Yes!” Tony Garcia and Rainer Sabin analyze the Michigan football team’s surprise win over USC on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
Kalel Mullings proved to be a hero for Michigan football on Saturday.
In a game the Wolverines won despite passing for just 32 yards, Mullings’ running game helped No. 17 Michigan to a spirited 27-24 victory over No. 12 USC on Saturday at Michigan Stadium. Mullings finished the game with career-highs of 17 carries for 159 yards and two touchdowns against the Trojans, helping the Wolverines to a 3-1 lead and 1-0 in Big Ten play of the 2024 college football season.
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His biggest moment came with the game hanging in the balance and the Wolverines trailing by four points: He managed to carry the ball on a fourth down attempt from the USC 1-yard line with less than a minute left. The offensive line cleared the way for the running back, and Mullings capped the drive with a touchdown and 84 of Michigan’s 89 yards on the final drive.
He had previously completed the longest run of his career with 63 yards:
Mullings looked so natural at running back for the Wolverines on Saturday that it’s hard to believe he began his career at Michigan at a different position. The graduate student switched to running back three seasons ago, and the move is paying off for Sherrone Moore and his team.
Here’s everything you need to know about Mullings, including his stats and his game-winning touchdown against USC:
Who is Kalel Mullings?
Mullings enrolled at Michigan in 2020 and began his career on special teams, appearing in six games as a freshman and recording one tackle. As a sophomore, he appeared in 13 games on special teams and as a linebacker. It wasn’t until his junior season in 2022 that Mullings was promoted to running back following injuries to Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards.
He finished his junior season with just 14 rushing attempts and 31 yards and also recorded 12 tackles (five solo). Last season, he was the third running back behind Corum and Edwards and finished the season with 36 carries for 222 yards and a touchdown, along with two receptions for 32 yards.
Mullings has put in more work this season. He ran 15 times for 92 yards in the season opener. He ran 15 times for 153 yards and two touchdowns against Arkansas State in Week 3 and followed that up with a 159-yard, two-touchdown performance against USC on Saturday.
Recruiting Kalel Mullings
According to 247Sports’ composite rankings, Mullings was a four-star recruit in the 2020 recruiting class. He was ranked as the No. 153 player in the country, the No. 10 outside linebacker and the best recruit in the state of Massachusetts. He was the No. 5 player in Michigan’s recruiting class.
Mullings chose the Wolverines on June 27, 2019, despite offers from Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Stanford, among others.
Kalel Mullings High School
Mullings attended Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston. In his senior season, he was named the 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts after recording 51 tackles, four sacks and three interceptions on defense. On offense, Mullings totaled 509 rushing yards, 33 receptions and 17 total offensive touchdowns while also returning a punt for a touchdown. Mullings received an invitation to the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.
Mullings also played the saxophone and was a member of the school’s a cappella group, the Miltones.
Kalel Mullings Statistics
Here’s a look at Mulling’s stats with Michigan:
- 2020: No offensive statistics recorded; One tackle
- 2021: 11 tackles in total (five solo)
- 2022: 14 runs for 31 yards and three touchdowns; 1-for-1 passes for 15 yards; 12 tackles (seven solo)
- 2023: 36 runs for 222 yards and one touchdown; two pass catches for 32 yards
- 2024: 53 runs for 429 yards and four touchdowns; one pass reception for two yards
