ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Karel Mullings rushed 2 yards on fourth down for a touchdown with 37 seconds left to lead No. 18 Michigan to a 27-24 victory over No. 11 University of Southern California on Saturday, welcoming the Trojans into the Big Ten with some hard-hitting, smash-mouth football.
The Wolverines (3-1, 1-0 SEC) overcame a 14-0 first-half lead and two fumbles in the second half.
They won with a 10-play, 89-yard TD drive, with Mullings carrying the bulk of the charge.
He scored his second touchdown of the game, this time running a huge pass behind the fullback for a touchdown that left little doubt where the ball was going.
The Trojans (2-1, 0-1 SEC) took a 24-20 lead midway through the fourth quarter when Miller Moss threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Jacobi Lane for his third touchdown of the game.
USC's final chance came on a pass on fourth down, but it couldn't get to the line and didn't make it near midfield.
Mullings rushed for a career-high 159 yards, including a 53-yard scoring run to give the Wolverines an early lead, and Donovan Edwards gave his team a two-touchdown lead with a 41-yard run.
Moss completed 28 of 51 passes for 283 yards, a season-high three touchdowns and a painful interception.
USC's Woody Marks ran for 100 yards on 13 carries and ripped the ball out of the hands of big defensive tackle Kenneth Grant, who recovered a Michigan fumble.
Moss threw an intercepted pass to Will Johnson in the third quarter to give the defending national champions a double-digit lead, but then bounced back with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jay Fair later in the quarter and a third touchdown pass to Lane with 7:01 left in the fourth quarter.
Michigan was down four points after USC defensive tackle Gavin Meyer blocked the extra point after Johnson's interception return for a touchdown, but needed a touchdown in the final minute to win.
And with an Edwards fumble that set up a touchdown for the Trojans and a Grant fumble that led to a score for the Big Ten newbies, Michigan needed a clutch score because it had no passing threat.
Alex Orji, making his first start at quarterback, completed 7 of 12 attempts for 32 yards and ran 13 times for 43 yards.
