For most of the second half at the Big House, it seemed like No. 12 Southern California was ready for life in the Big Ten.
That could continue to be the case: Trailing 14-3 at halftime and lacking any offensive will, the Trojans turned the tables on No. 17 Michigan in the second half and were just one final defensive move away from starting the new league with a direct hit.
But the Wolverines scored with 36 seconds left on a 1-yard run by Kalel Mullings to clinch a 27-24 victory that keeps the defending national champions in the race for the College Football Playoff and leaves USC and coach Lincoln Riley frustrated over a victory that eluded them.
There is a lot to like about the Trojans’ Big Ten debut. First, the change in physicality and performance from both lines in the second half suggests that USC is ready for the league’s style of play.
Meanwhile, the Trojans were able to bolster that running attack with solid play from quarterback Miller Moss, who was pressured by the Wolverines’ pass rush but ended up with 283 passing yards and three touchdowns. On the other side of the field, Michigan couldn’t get anything from quarterback Alex Orji. He posted 32 passing yards and 43 yards on the ground in his starting debut.
After hiring new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn from rival UCLA this winter, the Trojans are also seeing improved results that could keep this team in the race for a playoff spot.
But there are also many unresolved question marks. The first is the Trojans’ ability to protect the quarterback, which is very questionable after Saturday. Another is whether USC can afford a stumbling start like Saturday and bounce back against a team like No. 10 Penn State; the Nittany Lions will play at the Coliseum on Oct. 12. While they held Michigan’s running game in check for long stretches, the defense allowed three big plays, including a 63-yard run by Kalel Mullings on the game-winning drive. The Wolverines finished the game with 290 rushing yards.
And it begs the question of what it means to lose to Michigan. The Wolverines are weak offensively and clearly not built to compete for another national title. But when it mattered, they had enough to inflict a painful setback on USC as a newcomer to the Big Ten.
The Trojans, Michigan and Utah lead the winners and losers of college football week four:
winner
Utah
No. 10 Utah’s 22-19 win over No. 15 Oklahoma State puts the Utes alongside No. 14 Kansas State as the cream of the Big 12, a small step ahead of underranked No. 21 Iowa State and underrated Central Florida. That’s largely because the Utes were without quarterback Cam Rising in the lineup, meaning they may have to shift gears even further in four games. With the senior out again — injuries are a constant problem for Rising, who is excellent when healthy — coach Kyle Whittingham turned to backup Isaac Wilson, who threw two interceptions but was saved by running back Micah Bernard’s 182 yards on 25 carries. So the big story was the game on defense: Utah used two OSU quarterbacks, allowed just 38 rushing yards and showed why it’s more than ready for the playoffs.
Clemson
After scoring 56 points in the first half of a 66-20 win over Appalachian State two weeks ago, No. 19 Clemson dropped 45 points in the first half against North Carolina State and pulled off a 59-35 win over a potential ACC contender. (As it turns out, the Wolfpack aren’t one at all.) This explosiveness comes after a 34-3 loss to Georgia in the season opener raised more questions about the Tigers’ subpar offense. While the Mountaineers and Wolfpack aren’t exactly elite, this quick turnaround strongly suggests Clemson is a legitimate ACC player and a playoff contender, whether as conference champions or via a wild card. Quarterback Cade Klubnik had 209 yards and four total touchdowns against NC State and has scored 11 total points in the past two games.
Indiana
The list of wins isn’t impressive: Florida International, Western Illinois, UCLA and Charlotte. But the final scores are: 31-7, 77-3, 42-13 and 52-14. With transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke at the helm, Indiana’s offense looks like one of the best in recent program history, while new coach Curt Cignetti looks like one of the most inspired hires of last offseason. After Saturday’s win over Charlotte, the Hoosiers are unbeaten through four games for the first time since the 2020 season – Indiana’s only ranking since 1989 – while Cignetti becomes the first new coach in program history to start his tenure 4-0.
loser
Memphis
A week after beating Florida State in Tallahassee to move atop the Group of Five standings, No. 23 Memphis squandered all that goodwill and momentum with a 56-44 loss at Navy. In hindsight, going from one of the biggest regular-season wins in program history to a road game against an option team may have been a recipe for disaster. Thanks to that strong running game, the Midshipmen totaled 361 yards on 39 attempts, including a 90-yard touchdown by quarterback Blake Horvath in the fourth quarter. Defensively, Navy gave up 659 yards but was able to get some key stops while the Tigers held onto the ball for nearly 36 minutes. Although Memphis still has a good chance of making the playoffs, the loss could force Memphis to run the table from here and beat other Group of Five contenders, including No. 25 UNLV, Toledo and James Madison.
North Carolina
How does North Carolina give up 70 points at home to the aforementioned James Madison? Let’s start with five turnovers, the team’s most in a game since Sept. 27, 2018. Those turnovers give JMU two possessions that start inside the Tar Heels’ 35-yard line, both of which end in touchdowns. Plus, they have to allow a point on a blocked punt and another on a pick-six. But that doesn’t quite explain how horribly bad UNC was on defense. The Tar Heels allowed 611 yards of offense on 8.4 yards per play as the Dukes earned a key, standout win for new coach Bob Chesney and made a big jump in the playoff ranks.
State of Mississippi
It doesn’t get much worse: Mississippi State is worse than Florida. How much worse? Try 17 points worse, and at home. Thanks to 201 passing yards and three scores from Graham Mertz, the 45-28 victory gives the Gators and coach Billy Napier a boost despite another slow start and slightly increases their chances of six wins and a bowl berth. (The odds are still pretty slim.) On the other hand, the exhibition loss to a team and program clearly on life support sets off some alarm bells about the state of the Bulldogs under new coach Jeff Lebby, who won their debut against Eastern Kentucky but have since lost to Arizona State, been embarrassed at home by Toledo and been swept by the Gators.
Kansas
One of the downsides of being a successful football program — and Kansas definitely wasn’t for a long time — is the expectations that come with being able to perform. After two consecutive bowl appearances and a nine-win season in 2023, the Jayhawks are one of the biggest disappointments in the Power Four after giving up a late point, losing 32-28 to West Virginia and falling to 1-3. What somehow makes it worse is that each loss was eminently avoidable — they’ve led in the fourth quarter of all three games. Against the Mountaineers, KU led 28-17 after scoring with 5:39 left, but then allowed two scoring drives down the stretch, losing that Big 12 opener and putting their bowl hopes somewhat in jeopardy.
