It was a tale of two halves in Ann Arbor, but it was the home team that officially welcomed USC to the Big Ten.
The reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines, ranked 18th in the country, found the end zone with less than a minute left for a 27-24 victory over the 11th-ranked Trojans.
Michigan failed to get a first down on its first five drives of the second half after racking up more than 200 yards of offense in the first. But on third-and-1 with just over two minutes remaining, Kalel Mullings got the Wolverines within striking distance with a 63-yard run to the USC 17-yard line.
Seven plays later, Mullings found the end zone on a fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line to put Michigan up 27-24 with 37 seconds left. A stop would have all but given the Trojans the win.
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Michigan running back Kalel Mullings (20) runs against USC during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (Junfu Han/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
USC had no timeouts when it got the ball back, and the Trojans failed to cross the first down marker on fourth-and-9 from their own side of the field, giving Michigan the win.
Michigan led 14-3 at halftime, but USC came out of the locker room on a 12-play drive that ended in a touchdown. Michigan managed a touchdown on USC's next drive, but its next turnover did not meet a similar fate.
Michigan recovered a Trojans fumble inside the 10-yard line, but Wolverines defender Kenneth Grant fumbled the return. USC had another series of opportunities, and the Trojans took advantage by scoring a touchdown two plays later to make it 20-17.
After Donovan Edwards fumbled in Michigan's own end, USC scored to take a 24-20 lead three plays later. But when it needed it most, the Trojans' defense couldn't stop it.
Michigan Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards (7) receives congratulations from his teammates after running for a touchdown in the first half against the USC Trojans at Michigan Stadium. (Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)
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Michigan got the ball back with four minutes left after failing to get a first down on each of its first five possessions of the half.
The Wolverines showed USC what Big Ten and Michigan football is all about, rushing for 290 yards and throwing for just 32. Mullings led the way with 159 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, while Edwards found the end zone while rushing for 74 yards on 14 attempts.
Miller Moss completed 28 of his 51 attempts for USC for 283 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Kalel Mullings (20) of the Michigan Wolverines breaks away from defenders to score a touchdown during the first half against the USC Trojans at Michigan Stadium on September 21, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
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It was a much-needed win for Michigan (3-1), which suffered a tough loss to now-No. 1 Texas at the Big House two weeks ago. A loss, even with a 12-team playoff, would have been detrimental to its postseason hopes. It will be interesting to see where USC, which came in as a four-point favorite, will rank in the polls.
Michigan will return home next week for a Big Ten matchup against Minnesota, while USC (2-1) will host Wisconsin for its first Big Ten home battle.
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