No. 18 Michigan scores last-minute touchdown to hand No. 11 USC loss in Trojans’ first Big Ten matchup

It was a communicative of 2 halves successful Ann Arbor, but it was the location squad that officially welcomed USC to the Big Ten.

The reigning nationalist champion Michigan Wolverines, ranked 18th successful the country, recovered the extremity portion with nether a infinitesimal to spell for a 27-24 triumph implicit the 11th-ranked Trojans.

Michigan failed to get a archetypal down successful its archetypal 5 drives of the 2nd fractional aft racking up implicit 200 yards of discourtesy successful the first. However, connected 3rd and 1 with conscionable implicit 2 minutes to go, Kalel Mullings got the Wolverines wrong striking region with a 63-yard tally to the USC 17. 

Seven plays later, Mullings recovered the extremity portion connected a 4th and extremity from the 1-yard enactment to enactment Michigan up, 27-24, with 37 seconds left. A halt would person each but fixed the Trojans the victory.

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Michigan moving backmost Kalel Mullings (20) runs against USC during the archetypal fractional astatine Michigan Stadium successful Ann Arbor Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (Junfu Han/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

USC had nary timeouts erstwhile it got the shot back, and the Trojans failed to transverse the first-down marker connected 4th and 9 from their ain broadside of the field, giving Michigan the victory.

Michigan led 14-3 astatine the half, but USC came retired of the locker country with a 12-play touchdown drive. Michigan had a prime six connected USC’s adjacent drive, but its adjacent turnover didn’t effect successful a akin fate.

A Trojan fumble was recovered by Michigan wrong the 10-yard line, but Wolverines’ antiaircraft lineman Kenneth Grant mislaid a fumble of his ain connected the return. So, USC had different acceptable of downs, and the Trojans took vantage by scoring a touchdown 2 plays aboriginal to marque it a 20-17 game.

After Donovan Edwards mislaid a fumble connected Michigan’s ain end, USC scored to instrumentality a 24-20 pb 3 plays later. But erstwhile it needed it the most, the Trojan defence was incapable to get a stop.

Michigan Wolverines moving backmost Donovan Edwards (7) receives congratulations from teammates aft helium rushes for a touchdown successful the archetypal fractional against the USC Trojans astatine Michigan Stadium. (Rick Osentoski/Imagn Images)

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Michigan got the shot backmost with 4 minutes to go, aft it failed to get a archetypal down successful each of its archetypal 5 possessions of the half.

The Wolverines showed USC what Big Ten and Michigan shot is each about, rushing for 290 yards and throwing for conscionable 32. Mullings led the mode with 159 yards connected the crushed and 2 touchdowns connected 17 carries, portion Edwards recovered the extremity portion portion moving for 74 yards connected 14 attempts.

Miller Moss completed 28 of his 51 attempts for USC for 283 yards, 3 touchdowns and a pick.

Kalel Mullings (20) of the Michigan Wolverines runs distant from defenders for a touchdown during the archetypal fractional against the USC Trojans astatine Michigan Stadium Sept. 21, 2024, successful Ann Arbor, Mich. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

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It was a much-needed triumph for Michigan (3-1), which had a pugnacious nonaccomplishment to Texas, which is present No. 1, astatine the Big House 2 weeks ago. A loss, adjacent with a 12-team playoff, would person been detrimental to their postseason hopes. It volition beryllium absorbing to spot wherever USC, which entered arsenic a four-point favorite, volition autumn successful the polls.

Michigan is backmost location adjacent week for a Big Ten matchup against Minnesota, portion USC (2-1) volition big Wisconsin for its archetypal location Big Ten battle.

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