ANN ARBOR, Mich. – It wasn’t pretty by any means, but the Wolverines proved they still have something left in the tank after coming out of the Major House with a 27-24 win over the USC Trojans. It was a tale of two halves from Michigan. In the first half, the Wolverines could do no wrong, heading into halftime with a 14-3 lead – it felt even more.

But the second half belonged to USC for the most part. The Trojans marched up and down the field against Michigan, and the Wolverines didn’t manage a first down until late in the fourth quarter. The Wolverines made a few mistakes that led to two USC touchdowns, but on Michigan’s final drive, Kalel Mullings carried the team on his shoulders. The hard-working running back led Michigan down the field and capped it off with a fourth-down touchdown in the final seconds.

The Wolverines improved their season record to 3-1 and added a significant win to their record.

Here are my Michigan players of the game.

What a performance from Mullings. He finished the game with 159 yards on 17 carries (9.4 YPC) and two scores. Mullings managed a 63-yard run in the final minutes to secure the game’s final touchdown. Mullings broke three tackles on that 63-yard run and he continues to run extremely fast. Michigan will have to treat him as the lead running back going forward, while Donovan Edwards will be used as a relief running back.

Speaking of Edwards, he made a huge mistake when he dropped the football in the fourth quarter, which led to a touchdown for USC. But aside from that mistake, the senior back had a solid game. Edwards rushed for 74 yards on 14 carries (5.3 YPC) and scored one score. Edwards broke free for a 41-yard touchdown in the first half. He also caught a pass for nine yards. I really wish Michigan could use him more in the passing game. The Wolverines need some kind of spark in the air and Edwards could be that.

If it weren’t for Kalel Mulling’s final drive, Josaiah Stewart would have a good chance of being Michigan’s player of the game. Stewart was a stalwart of the Wolverines defense and was all over the field. He was constantly in the backfield, keeping Miller Moss on his toes and was able to connect with him several times. Stewart had four tackles, two sacks, three TFLs, four QB hurries and a forced fumble. The Wolverines needed their front four to make a big play and that’s exactly what they did with Stewart leading the way.

Will Johnson left the game and went to the locker room, but Johnson’s impact was felt in this game. At times, Johnson gave up five or more yards and held things in front of him where Miller threw to Moss and completed a pass. But Johnson made Moss pay for it. In the third quarter, Moss went to throw to the flat to his left and Johnson ran in like a rocket, intercepted a ball and brought it home for a 42-yard interception return for a Michigan touchdown. Big players make big plays in big games and that’s exactly what he did.

Mason Graham and his counterpart Kenneth Grant have been quiet for the most part this season, but they both played well and Graham was really, really good. He missed a tackle in the second half, but he made up for it with several key plays. He led the team in tackles with six, Graham had a sack, a TFL and was praised for a QB hurry. Graham showed what he could do in a key game.

Tommy Doman has struggled to begin 2024, but he was one of the unsung heroes in Michigan’s win on Saturday. Doman punted the ball seven times for 335 yards. He averaged 47.9 yards per punt, had a long punt of 56 yards, and forced USC to start inside the 20-yard line three times. Doman has always been a reliable punter, and he showed that again against the Trojans.

– For more coverage of the Michigan Wolverines, visit Michigan Wolverines On SI –

Conclusion: Michigan’s heroics in the final phase allow the football team to overtake USC

Social media reactions to Michigan’s late-game win over USC

Stocks up, stocks down: No. 18 Michigan gets tough win over No. 11 USC