ANN ARBOR, Michigan – Kalel Mullings' teammates all the time teased him because he didn't look that fast.
Mullings, a former linebacker, is 6-foot-2 and 235 kilos. If Michigan's players were in the very best positions on the goal line and running a 100-yard dash, he probably wouldn't win. He began this season within the shadow of Donovan Edwards, the star of last yr's national championship game, and wasn't mentioned among the many Big Ten's best running backs.
Late within the fourth quarter against USC, Michigan ran out of ideas to revive a comatose offense, however the Wolverines finally found something that worked. They gave the ball to Mullings, who ran through the arms of USC's John Humphrey for a 63-yard gain. They gave it to him again. And again. And again. With 41 seconds on the clock, Michigan faced fourth down and needed yet another play to take the lead.
Hmm… what should I call it? Naked Bootleg? Philly Special? Or how about giving it to Mullings again?
!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/HMTgB8YgGI
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) 21 September 2024
“We all knew what was going to happen,” said quarterback Alex Orji.
Mullings took the handoff and plowed into the top zone, giving No. 18 Michigan a 27-24 win over the No. 11 Trojans. This was Michigan's most improbable win in years, sparked by a running back who shouldn't have been the primary alternative. It's clear now that each week will probably be a battle for this Michigan team, but sometimes the battle ends in celebration.
“I think that's an expression of who we are: We always give it our all until the end,” Mullings said. “During the whole trip it was just grit.”
Before that final drive, Michigan had the ball five times within the second half without getting a primary down. The Wolverines gained 6 yards within the third quarter and had 32 passing yards for your entire game. None of that’s within the handbook for the best way to beat a top-15 opponent.
Somehow, Michigan found a way. It was largely due to Mullings, who rushed for 159 yards on 17 carries, his second straight game with greater than 150 yards. Michigan's offense can depend on few things, however the Wolverines have learned that they will depend on Mullings.
“He did everything for us,” said coach Sherrone Moore.
At the very least, Michigan's try to construct a complete offense of linemen, tight ends and former linebackers will probably be an interesting test of the Wolverines' offensive morale. Michigan has been a run-first team in recent times, but with Orji at quarterback, it's now a run-first team, too.
What Michigan did on Saturday, beating a higher-ranked opponent while attempting 12 passes, might be not sustainable. At this point, the Wolverines aren't in search of sustainability. They're in search of anything that might help them win on a given Saturday. If meaning running the ball 40-plus times per game, Moore will probably be the happiest person within the stadium.
“That's my dream,” Moore said. “Yeah, I want to throw the ball, but if you can run the ball effectively, it weakens (the defense) a little bit.”
Saturday was USC's first conference game as a member of the Big Ten, and it delivered exactly what the Big Ten wanted when it added 4 teams from the West Coast: an amazing scene, great drama, a clash of two iconic programs with contrasting styles.
GO DEEPER
USC let Michigan get away, and now the Trojans' margin for error is slim
Michigan's advantage within the trenches was considerable. USC's passing game was explosive; Michigan's was nonexistent. The game had wild momentum swings, including Will Johnson's 42-yard interception return for a touchdown and Kenneth Grant's fumble recovery that was recovered by USC's Woody Marks.
Michigan appeared to be in big trouble after Edwards caused a fumble and USC scored midway through the fourth quarter to take a 24-20 lead. The offense stalled within the second half and the switch from Davis Warren to Orji at quarterback didn’t appear to be a dramatic improvement.
Warren was reasonably efficient within the short and intermediate passing game, but threw six interceptions in three starts. The Wolverines rarely tried to throw the ball past the road of scrimmage with Orji, but he played turnover-free football, running 13 times for 43 yards.
“A lot of people asked me what I was hoping to achieve in my first start,” Orji said. “I wanted a ball-safe win, and that's what we got.”
GO DEEPER
Alex Orji is a one-of-a-kind athlete. Now it's time to prove he can play quarterback.
Despite its struggles, Michigan is 3-1 with a loss to No. 1 Texas and a win against a USC team that was considered a College Football Playoff contender. That's not a foul first month of the season. Looking at how the Wolverines have won the last two weeks, it's hard to be confident that what they're doing now will translate to a full season. But if Michigan can beat USC with out a functioning passing game, the Wolverines should give you the chance to beat a couple of other teams, too.
Michigan can have a troublesome time this season. The Wolverines can have to cope with ugly wins. They don't have a great quarterback solution and their best hope is to trust Orji and help him out nonetheless they will.
Giving the ball to Mullings is an amazing technique to do this. As good as he's been, he could use more touches. The Wolverines are a troublesome team to play when Mullings is breaking tackles and Michigan's defense is flying around, as USC came upon in its first taste of Big Ten football.
Beating a ranked team by 32 passing yards isn't something Michigan can repeat. But success on the bottom with Mullings is repeatable, and Michigan's final drive was an ideal repeat.
“Whether you're running or throwing – (people) say you should throw more – we won,” Moore said. “We beat a good team. That's what it was all about.”
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