LOS ANGELES – The No. 15-ranked Michigan Wolverines got embarrassed as the USC Trojans opened the floodgates in a 31-13 upset loss in the highly anticipated matchup inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Michigan had no answer on both sides of the ball as USC gained nearly 500 yards of total offense while holding the Wolverines to an uninspiring performance, as they never felt like they were in the game.
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The Wolverines’ defense looked underprepared and out of sync as quarterback Jayden Maiava was picking them apart with screen passes early and often.
The game on Saturday (Oct. 11) was Michigan’s second visit to the historic venue, having won a 16-6 game there in 1957.
Michigan falls to 4-2 on the season and will look to bounce back on Saturday when they play host to the Washington Huskies at noon inside the Big House.
1st quarter
With much anticipation, the Wolverines won the toss and deferred to the second half, allowing their tough defense to kick the game off.
With the ball on the 25-yard line, quarterback Jaden Maiava handed the ball off ot Waymond Jordan for three yards.
Maiava connected with Jordan on a six-yard screen pass to set up third and one, with Jordan gaining two yards to pick up the first down.
Maiava hit Makai Lemon for a 12-yard screen pass before connecting with Walker Lyons for 21 yards.
Jordan gained seven yards to move the ball into the red zone after a King Miller seven-yard run.
Rod Moore stopped a potential touchdown with a key tackle on Eli Sanders after a catch and run of 11 yards.
Jordan toted the rock to move the ball to the two-yard line.
On second down and two, Jordan took a direct snap for no gain, setting up third down and two on the two-yard line.
With a nasty fake pick screen play, Maiava hit wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane for a two-yard touchdown to take an opening drive 7-0 lead with 8:57 to play, covering 75 yards in 5:58 seconds in just 11 plays.
Wink Martindale had to get his guys in order as the Trojans did whatever they wanted on the opening drive of the game.
Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood threw an incomplete pass to wide receiver Donaven McCulley before hitting Justice Haynes for a two-yard catch.
On third down, Underwood threw incomplete behind the line of scrimmage to Haynes, setting up for a Hudson Hollenbeck punt to the Trojans’ 29-yard line.
The Wolverines’ defense retook the field after a quick three-and-out, and Maiava hit Lane for a gain of nine yards on the play.
On second down and one, Maiava handed the ball off to Jordan for no gain.
With one yard to gain, Jordan got stuffed by Jaishawn Barham, setting up a fourth down and one from their own 38-yard line.
After a yardage review, the play was upheld, and USC lined up to go for it. With the crowd going bonkers, Maiava hiked the ball and pitched it to Jordan behind the line of scrimmage, but head coach Lane Kiffin called the team’s first time-out of the game.
After the timeout, the offense lined up and nearly got stopped in the backfield, but Jordan eluded Michigan defenders to gain 11 yards on the play.
Maiava connected with Lane on another screen play, this time for seven yards.
On second down and two from the 44-yard line, Maiava hit Lemon for 11 yards to move the chains to the Trojans’ 22-yard line.
Miller touched the rock again, this time rushing for three yards on first down.
Maiava threw an incomplete pass after starting the game 8-8 to Lane, but good coverage by Jyaire Hill before he absolutely destroyed Lake McCree to pop the ball in the air, forcing a fumble recovered by Derrick Moore for the first turnover of the game.
After the turnover, Michigan got the ball with their backs against their endzone and handed it off to Haynes for a five-yard run.
Haynes’s seven-yard run moved the ball to their 20-yard line.
Underwood hit Semaj Morgan for seven yards before hitting Andrew Marsh on a 16-yard catch and run.
Haynes gained three yards on a run before Underwood found Marsh for eight yards.
Michigan ended the quarter gaining four yards on a rush by Haynes.
Offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey started getting in his bag as Michigan started moving the pigskin on their second drive of the game.
2nd quarter
Michigan opened the quarter with the ball on the Trojans’ 42-yard line with a Haynes nine-yard gain as he bounced outside with a big block by McCulley.
Haynes got stuffed on the next play before Underwood hit Marsh on a swing pass for 10 yards, setting up a third down and four.
But Michigan was called for a false start on Marlin Klein, moving the sticks back five yards and setting up a third down and nine, with the crowd playing a huge role in affecting the play.
Underwood got sacked for a negative 11 yards, moving them out of field goal range, where Hollenbeck punted the ball back 33 yards to the Trojans’ 10-yard line.
Underwood can’t take a sack in that scenario, as he needed to throw the ball away to try to put points on the board.
You could also say Klein’s false start hurt them tremendously, as it took them out of four down territory.
Maiava handed the ball off to Jordan for four yards after Ernest Hausmann made a shoe tackle to stop the potential big run.
USC gained 21 yards after a Maiava pass to Lyons, who was wide open down the right side of the field
Lane gained a first down after a five-yard catch and run.
Maiava nearly threw an interception to Lyons, who bobbled the ball in the air before it hit the ground on first down and 10.
On second down and 10, Maiava threw incomplete by the line of scrimmage to Lane, setting up a third and 10 from the 46-yard line.
Upon further review, Maiava’s pass, although tipped, was thrown backwards, making for a Tanook Hines recovery for a negative seven yards.
On third down and 17 on their own 39-yard line, Maiava threw incomplete to Jordan as Barham was hot on his heels for a potential Wolverines sack.
Morgan fair caught the punt of 47 yards on their own 14-yard line.
On their third possession of the first half, with their backs against the wall once again, Haynes took the handoff from Underwood for 13 yards to the 27-yard line.
Riding the hot hand, Haynes carried the ball up the middle for seven yards to set up a second down and three from the 34-yard line.
Underwood threw a pass to Morgan, who dropped the wide-open pass, making for a tough third down and three, which was picked up by Haynes to move the sticks.
Haynes gained another three yards to set up a second down and seven before a timeout was called for an injured player on USC.
At the 7:09 mark in the second quarter, Michigan gained 83 total yards, with 43 coming from Underwood’s passing and Haynes’ rushing for 40 yards.
On second and seven, Michigan got tricky and ran a screen pass to Jordan Marshall, but the pass got deflected.
On a pivotal third down and seven, Underwood hit McCulley for 12 yards before hitting Marsh for 16 yards to move the sticks.
Marshall carried the ball for the first down for two yards before gashing USC for 10 yards.
Before the first down snap, Morgan got called for a false start, moving them back five yards.
On first and 15, Underwood handed the ball to Marshall, who regained the five yards that were lost previously.
On second and 10, Underwood ran a QB keeper for 11 yards while landing a nasty stiff arm in the process.
With a new set of downs and eight yards to go, Underwood handed the ball off to Marshall for a one-yard gain.
On second down and seven, Underwood completed a pass to McCulley for their first touchdown of the game on a sweet slant route to the left side of the endzone with 3:09 to play in the first half.
The scoring drive, which spanned 14 plays for 86 yards, consumed 6:03, including a Dominic Zvada extra point that tied the game as the Michigan fans got into the game.
Jordan opened the drive with a two-yard gain to the 27-yard line, setting up a second and eight.
Lemon on a scramble route by Maiava connected on a 28-yard catch to move the sticks.
Miller rushed the ball for eight yards as the clock stopped at the two-minute time-out.
With the ball on Michigan’s 37-yard line, on second and two, Hausmann wrapped up Miller for a one-yard gain.
On third and one from the 36, with the clock ticking, USC gained two yards for a first down.
Hill got shook out of his shoes following a sweep pass by Miller, who gained five yards.
Miller rushed for eight yards to the 21-yard line following a screen pass to Miller for 10 yards with 15 seconds left in the first half.
The screen game has been a pain for Michigan as USC ran it in a variety of ways to move the sticks in the first half.
Head coach Sherrone Moore needed his team to get a big stop before the half as the Trojans moved the ball to the 11-yard line with 15 seconds remaining and one time out for USC.
A review overturned the play, making it second and one with 18 seconds to play. However, USC somehow didn’t have a 10-second run-off and got an extra three seconds in the process before Michigan called a timeout.
On second and one on the 12, Maiava hit Lemon in the corner of the endzone for an acrobatic catch over Jayden Sanders to take a 14-7 lead with 14 seconds to play before halftime.
The touchdown was pivotal as Michigan got the ball to open the half, but too much Lemon on that drive soured Michigan’s momentum as Marshall ran the ball for four yards to end the half.
The Trojans feel like they’re big in this game even though it is a seven-point game.
Through 30 minutes, Michigan has only garnered 151 total yards with 79 through the air and 72 on the ground, while the Trojans tallied 242 total yards with 181 coming through the air and 61 on the ground.
The Wolferines’ passing defense needed to step it up in the second half, as their corners, including Hill, Sanders, and Zeke Berry, had been pretty quiet except for the forced fumble blindside hit on McCree.
Michigan’s first-half defense gave up 13 first downs while its offense accumulated only 10.
Coming into the game, USC’s defense and Michigan’s offense were the talk of the college world, and at the half, USC is on top.
It looked like Haynes suffered some sort of rib injury in the first half as he was seen running back to the locker room as Marshall got the bulk of the first half carries.
--> Michigan football RB Justice Haynes injured in first half of USC matchup
3rd quarter
Michigan opened the half with a running play to Marshall before hitting Hogan Hansen for a big play, which was nullified due to a Marsh holding penalty.
After another carry for six yards by Marshall, with their backs against the wall, on third down and 17, Underwood scrambled for six yards as Hollenbeck shanked a punt to move the ball into Michigan’s territory.
After the punt, Brandyn Hillman made a pass breakup on Lemon before TJ Metcalf laid the boom on a player.
After getting a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, Miller broke a big run of 49 yards on third and 26 to move the ball into the red zone.
Miller got stuffed before capping off a five-play 52-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown to take a 21-7 lead in the third quarter.
Underwood hit Kielin for five yards to open the drive before Marshall carried the ball for seven yards to move the chains.
Marshall got tackled for a one-yard loss on first down, setting up a second and 11 before Underwood scrambled for one yard.
On third down and 10, needing a play to stay in the game, Underwood threw incomplete to McCulley to set up for another punt.
Miller opened the next drive with a 47-yard carry to move the ball to the Wolverines’ 24-yard line.
Maiava hit Lane for 11 yards, Lemon lost a yard on first down, and Miller lost a yard before Berry, in his homecoming, made an incredible interception on their four-yard line.
Needing some sort of a pulse, Michigan started the drive on its own four-yard line and handed the ball off to Marshall, followed by Marsh catching the ball for six yards to move the chains.
Marshall toted the rock for 13 yards and then another 10 before Underwood completed a two-yard pass to Marsh on first down.
On second down and eight at the 41, Underwood completed a 19-yard catch and run to McCulley to move the ball into the Trojans’ red zone.
Underwood hit Marsh again for 11 yards before he got a catch broken up at the goal line by a USC defender.
On second and 10, with his first carry of the game, Bryson Kuzdzal got stuffed at the line of scrimmage for no yards before Underwood threw an ill-advised pass to McCulley, who looked to have gotten tangled up with the defender for his first interception of the game.
The Wolverines played brutally as they were driving.
Play calling has been predictable thus far, and Michigan looks lost and unprepared for the matchup as USC is dominating.
4th quarter
USC gained one yard to end the third quarter before Maiava hit Lemon for 18 yards to move the ball to the 46-yard line.
The Trojans gained two yards after a Miller carry.
Michigan, in its sixth game of the season, got its first holding call on its opponent’s offense, Micah Banuelos, setting up a fourth-down field goal for 54 yards, which was good to take a 24-7 lead with 10:01 to play.
Needing to show some sort of life, Underwood hit Marsh for a 69-yard catch and run to cut into the lead to 24-13 after Underwood overthrew McCulley, who was wide open for the two-point conversion.
Why go for two when trailing by 11 with 9:17 to play is a question that reporters will ask after the game, but Michigan’s defense will look to get a stop.
Miller gained no yards on the play on first down, and Maiava threw incomplete to Lane on second down and 10.
Needing a stop, Michigan’s defense left another offensive player streaking down the field inside the Memorial Coliseum as Maiava connected with Mcree for 20 yards to move the sticks once again.
Maiava hit Lemon for a five-yard catch and run with 7:49 to play.
Bryan Jackson rushed for another big run as he made a house call, this time for 29 yards.
Michigan came out with the same predictable offense on its next possession.
It got stopped on fourth down as the Trojans’ fans chanted “overrated” in the direction of Underwood and the Wolverines.
History
Michigan and USC faced off for the 12th time in their football rivalry, with the Wolverines tying the series at 6-6 all-time.
Their first meeting as Big Ten conference foes came in 2024, when Michigan won 27-24 at Michigan Stadium.
--> Michigan football runs through Trojans in upset victory to open Big Ten play
Before that, USC had won the last three matchups, all played on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl.
Of the previous 10 games before the 2024 conference matchup, eight were played at the Rose Bowl, with USC leading those contests 6-2.
The most recent Rose Bowl meeting was the 2007 game, where USC defeated Michigan 32-18.
Including Saturday’s game, Michigan improved to a perfect 4-0 record against USC in regular-season games, winning 16-6 at USC in 1957, 20-19 at home in 1958, and 27-24 at home in 2024.
Jaden Richardson got his first catch of the game for 10 yards, followed by a five-yard rush by Bryan Jackson as USC started milking the clock.
History
Michigan and USC faced off for the 12th time in their football rivalry, with the Trojans improving to 7-5 all-time.
Their first meeting as Big Ten conference foes came in 2024, when Michigan won 27-24 at Michigan Stadium.
--> Michigan football runs through Trojans in upset victory to open Big Ten play
Before that, USC had won the last three matchups, all played on New Year’s Day in the Rose Bowl.
Of the previous 10 games before the 2024 conference matchup, eight were played at the Rose Bowl, with USC leading those contests 6-2.
The most recent Rose Bowl meeting was the 2007 game, where USC defeated Michigan 32-18.
Including Saturday’s game, Michigan fell to a 3-1 record against USC in regular-season games, winning 16-6 at USC in 1957, 20-19 at home in 1958, and 27-24 at home in 2024.