No. 15 Michigan’s three-game win streak came to an end on Saturday night, falling to USC by the final score of 31-13 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The Wolverines struggled offensively, as freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood finished 15-of-24 for 207 yards and two touchdowns to go along with an interception.
Fans questioned the job security of Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore after the loss.
The Wolverines trailed 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, but tied the game in the second after Underwood connected with Donaven McCulley for an eight-yard touchdown.
While the Trojans found the end zone later in the quarter to take a 14-7 lead at halftime, Moore’s squad still remained within striking distance.
Michigan’s offense couldn’t find any type of rhythm early in the second half, as its three third-quarter drives ended with two punts and an interception.
The Wolverines also experienced issues defensively, with USC quarterback Jayden Maiava finishing 25-of-32 for 265 yards and two touchdowns while getting picked off once.
The Trojans ended the game with 489 total yards as a team, scoring 17 points in the second half and extinguishing any hope of a Michigan comeback.
USC’s rushing attack was also dominant in the victory, as King Miller picked up a season-high 158 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. The Trojans amassed 224 yards on the ground overall.
It was a surprising result against a Michigan defense that allowed just 77.0 rush yards per game entering the contest, the third-best mark in the Big Ten.
As for the Wolverines’ offense, they only picked up 17 first downs in the contest and converted a mere two of nine opportunities on third down.
USC now sits at 5-1 with the win, while Michigan fell to 4-2.
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