No. 11 USC and No. 18 Michigan are meeting for the first time as conference foes on Saturday as two of college football's most storied brands collide at Michigan Stadium in a Week 4 showcase. The Wolverines have already lost once on their home field -- taking a decisive blow from Texas in Week 2 -- and are seeking an offensive spark as they turn to the mobile Alex Orji at quarterback. USC is 2-0 with an impressive Week 1 win over LSU under its belt and is coming off a bye as it looks to prove it can contend for a conference crown during its first season in the Big Ten.
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Michigan wound up punting. But in a game like this, flipping the field constitutes a good possession. That's what the Wolverines did, courtesy of a couple first downs picked up by Alex Orji on the ground. USC will take over at its own 13 still in search of a first down. The Wolverines have been vicious defensively, particularly against the run.
Michigan's mean defensive tackle Mason Graham just made his presence felt by stuffy Woody Marks for no gain on a third-and-1 play to force the Trojans into a third straight three-and-out to start the game. The physicality questions surrounding USC centered on its defense entering this game. But the Trojans' offensive line has been particularly shaky early. USC is stuck on 3 total yards entering the second quarter.
Kalel Mullings just ripped off a 53-yard touchdown run on first down to put Michigan up 7-0 early. The Wolverines BARELY converted a fourth-and-1 on the previous play to keep the drive alive. USC's defense had been stout. But Mullings busted through virtually untouched to give Michigan a critical early advantage. The Wolverines are not built to play from behind.
Stewart hammered Miller Moss for a loss of nine yards on second down to stymie USC's second possession before it could ever begin. The Wolverines are getting excellent push on USC's offensive line early in this game, which has been a battle of the punters. USC has netted -6 yards on its first two possessions, and the teams have combined for only one first down.
Michigan just went three-and-out on its second series after Mason Cobb and Eric Gentry stuffed Kalel Mullins at the line of scrimmage on first down. From there, Orji picked up four on the ground. Facing a third down, he passed to Fredrick Moore short of the sticks. This time, Tommy Doman's punt sailed into the end zone. The Trojans are looking sound defensively early, and the Michigan offense has been just as predictable as expected through two possessions.
Backed up inside of its own 10-yard line following a great punt from Tommy Doman, USC quickly went three-and-out as a false start and a dropped pass from Kyron Hudson left the Trojans in a third-and-13. It appeared as though Miller moss was having trouble hearing the play calls inside of a raucous Michigan Stadium as he made his first true road start. That will be something to monitor as this game goes on. The Trojans could wind up needing to gold-school with their signals.
Faced with a fourth-and-inches at the 24-yard line, Sherrone Moore rolled the dice and opted to go for it. The play clock was at zero, but the Wolverines snapped the ball and Alex Orji snuck forward to move the chains. But that was all the Wolverines could muster on their opening series as Easton Mascarenas-Arnold came up with a shoestring tackle on Alex Orji on a third-an-8 scramble to force a Michigan punt. Michigan threw one pass on its opening drive with Alex Orji at quarterback. It was a 5-yard completion to Semaj Morgan.
The Trojans and Wolverines are about to get underway from Michigan Stadium on CBS as Michigan will receive the opening kickoff. USC won the toss but deferred in an early sign of confidence in its defense as Alex Orji makes his first career start at quarterback for the Wolverines.
If you're looking to kill the last few minutes before kickoff, this is a great offseason read on Lincoln Riley, who can make a national statement early in Year 3 on the job today by leading his Trojans into Michigan Stadium and knocking off the reigning national champions.
Lincoln Riley has been synonymous with elite quarterback play at both USC and Oklahoma. Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and most recently Caleb Williams, who followed Riley from Oklahoma to USC, are some of the stars who blossomed in Riley's offense. Is Miller Moss Riley's next star at the position. He has not only solidified himself as USC's starting quarterback but is one of the early betting favorites to win the Heisman Trophy
Michigan is turning to mobile junior Alex Orji at quarterback in hopes of sparking its offense after after a worrisome start. But it's clear the Michigan staff doesn't trust Orji to throw the football, which means the Wolverines will still be one-dimensional. The Trojans appear far more competent defensively under first-year coordinator D'Anton Lynn and should have the luxury of loading up against the run. USC also has enough offensive firepower to exploit the soft spots in a Michigan defense that isn't as dominant as its 2023 counterpart. Pick: USC -6
Conference realignment has altered the foundation of college football by consolidating the sport's most powerful brands into four conferences, with a heavy concentration of them now residing the Big Ten and SEC. Among the downsides of realignment are the abandonment of geographical congruency and the disruption of traditional rivalries. The upshot is more blockbuster regular season games like this. Later this season, we'll also get the sixth-ever meeting between USC and Nebraska and the sixth-ever meeting between Oregon and Michigan.
USC ranked No. 116 nationally in total defense last season as the Trojans struggled to an 8-5 record after starting the year No. 6 in the preseason AP poll. Riley fired coordinator Alex Grinch after five seasons together between Oklahoma and USC and landed D'Anton Lynn, who shined as UCLA's defensive coordinator in 2023. The early returns are encouraging, but Michigan will pose a new challenge. While the Trojans shut down LSU's rushing attack, the Tigers have proven to be listless on the ground. Michigan is built to run the football, which will test USC's physicality. With the duo of Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards at running back, combined with Orji's mobility, it's no secret that Michigan will seek to pound the rock.
Orji has attempted just seven career passes in three seasons at Michigan. Now he'll be thrust into the starting role for a marquee matchup after playing sparingly in the season's first three weeks. With the immobile Davis Warren unable to spark the Wolverines' passing game, it will be on Orji to bring some life to Michigan's offense. Orji's running ability is his calling card, but he'll have to show some level of competency in the passing game in order to keep USC from loading up the box to take away Michigan's rushing attack. Moore said this week that Orji's accuracy "has improved tremendously." But that must translate to the big stage if Michigan is going to have a chance.
Michigan will be without tight end Colston Loveland for their big home game against USC. While Loveland is a big part of Michigan's offense, and it's a big loss on the surface, it's fair to wonder how much of an impact it will have on the gameplan. One the one hand, you take away the most consistent and reliable pass-catcher Michigan has, but on the other hand, how often will Michigan be looking to throw the ball in Alex Orji's first start?
There's no way to spin this as anything other than bad news, but if Michigan plans to lean more into the QB run game with Orji than it had with Davis Warren, it's possible Loveland's absence won't be a devastating blow.
No. 11 USC and No. 18 Michigan are squaring off in the regular season for the first time since 1958 as the Wolverines host the Trojans in their first-ever clash as Big Ten foes. Eight of their 10 previous matchups have come in the Rose Bowl, making this only the second time USC has played inside Michigan Stadium. The pair of college football giants enter the showdown riding vastly different vibes after both faced significant early-season challenges. USC passed its Week 1 test against LSU, winning 27-20 while demonstrating much-needed defensive improvement. Michigan flunked its first big challenge with a weak offensive showing in a 31-12 Week 2 home loss to Texas.
