USC's defense shines in 31-13 win over No. 15 Michigan

ASSOCIATED PRESS

USC got the biggest win of its Big Ten tenure with a 31-13 victory over No. 15 Michigan on Saturday night. And yes, the USC defense played a massive role in that win.

USC’s run game gashed Michigan over and over and over again. But the defense finally looked like a unit that can compliment an excellent offense on a team that can contend for a conference title.

The Trojans averaged over seven yards a carry with a rushing attack that didn’t have its top two rushers. Both Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders were carted off during the first half and coach Lincoln Riley even remarked in his halftime interview with NBC that he might have to carry the ball in the second half.

Freshman King Miller made sure that he didn’t need to worry about that. Miller, who entered the game with just 11 carries for 152 yards through USC’s first five games, rushed 17 times for 156 yards and a score. And sophomore Bryan Jackson put the game away in the fourth quarter with a 29-yard TD run to give the Trojans an insurmountable three-score lead.

QB Jayden Maiava was also efficient. He was 25-of-32 passing for 265 yards with two TDs and an interception. The 489 yards USC racked up on Saturday night were the most yards Michigan allowed since the Wolverines gave up 492 against Ohio State at the end of the 2022 regular season. 

As USC carved up Michigan’s defense, the Wolverines’ offense couldn’t do the same thing to USC’s defense. Granted, the Michigan offense hasn’t been very good away from home. Especially through the air. And that was evident again on Saturday night as true freshman Bryce Underwood struggled again.

Underwood was 15-of-24 for 207 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. It was the first time he had thrown for over 200 yards in a road game this season, but it’s also fair to note that his numbers were inflated by a 69-yard TD to fellow freshman Andrew Marsh in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach.

Without the pass to worry about, USC could focus on the Michigan run game. And with Justice Haynes nursing an injury throughout much of the game, Michigan couldn’t break any big runs. The Wolverines’ longest run of the night was 13 yards as Haynes rushed the ball just 10 times for 51 yards.

USC's path to playoff contention

Yes, USC wasn’t ranked to start the day. But the Trojans will be ranked in Sunday’s AP Top 25 and are set up to be in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Especially with a win over Notre Dame in Week 8.

After Notre Dame in a week, USC doesn’t face a ranked team until a trip to Oregon in the penultimate game of the season. And even if the Trojans lose to the Fighting Irish, they can still be in the thick of the Big Ten race heading into the Oregon game if either Ohio State or Indiana stumble.

Michigan, meanwhile, doesn't face a ranked opponent until No. 1 Ohio State in the final week of the season. The Wolverines are still in the mix too, especially with just one conference loss. But Saturday showed the limitations of Michigan as a playoff contender without Underwood and the passing game making a big leap in the second half of the season.