The No. 18 Michigan Wolverines battled their way to a 27-24 victory over the No. 11 USC Trojans on Saturday. While Michigan’s defense pressured most of the afternoon, Michigan’s offense did almost all of the damage on the ground. In fact, the Wolverines rushed for 290 yards and threw for just 32 yards, the fewest passing yards Michigan has had in a football game since 1987. While the lack of a passing attack caused some consternation, head coach Sherrone Moore said it was a “dream” to see the Michigan offense dominate on the ground.
“That’s my dream,” Moore said after the game. “And yeah, I want to throw the ball, but when you can run the ball effectively, it breaks you down a little bit. And for us, our guys, the look in their eyes this week, how they prepared, how they practiced. We adjusted a few things in practice to make it a little more competitive and physical. And the guys responded and they liked it. They liked it. They really took it to heart. And I think the O-line… I’m so proud of them because I’m so hard on them, but so proud of what they did and how they played today.”
Once again, it was veteran running back Kalel Mullings who led the way. Mullings was the best runner on the afternoon, rushing for 159 yards and two touchdowns on 17 attempts, averaging 9.4 yards per run. On the final offensive play of the game, Mullings ran 84 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard TD run. After the win, Moore couldn’t say enough good things about Mullings and his impact on the season so far.
“I think right now he’s averaging about eight yards per carry this season,” Moore said. “And he can do it from a distance. He’s shown he can run you down. He’s just done everything for us. He’s a great pass protector. He’s been unbelievable. Last year he averaged six yards per carry. So it’s no surprise how good he is and what he’s done. But to see him take the next steps and really make those explosive plays and when the game is on the line, he wants the ball in his hands and he’s made plays happen. So yeah, he’s a star. He’s a playmaker.”
When asked if Mullings has established himself as a star back, Moore stressed that Donovan Edwards has also had a big impact on the game. But looking at the overall performance over the last four weeks, Moore also admitted that Mullings has shown that he is the No. 1 right now.
“Donovan had an electrifying 46-yard run before the fumble. So we’re going to use both guys,” Moore said. “We’re going to need more guys. That’s the way it is in college football, especially considering how long the season can be. Kalel obviously played a hell of a game, so we’re just going to continue to use him the way we need to. And Kalel obviously showed that he could be the best player… should be. So we’re going to use both of them. They’re both going to play a tremendous amount, but Kalel obviously played a hell of a game.
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