Biggest Winners, Losers in USC Trojans Upset Win Over No. 15 Michigan Wolverines

On top of running backs King Miller and Bryan Jackson's touchdowns, the Trojans played well collectively – with another two touchdowns coming from wide receivers Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon. 

As for the Wolverines, the pass rush did not deliver their best performance, finishing the night with no sacks and 238 rushing yards allowed. 

Heading into the Trojans next road contest at No. 16 Notre Dame, USC’s impressive offensive showing and bounceback defense will be critical for next weekend’s ranked matchup. 

Biggest Winners in Upset Win over No. 15 Michigan 

Winner: Backup running backs

One of the first notes to take away from the Trojans well-rounded offensive performance was a job well-done from USC’s backup running backs, Jackson and Miller. 

Miller, the walk-on tailback from Calabasas, California, had big shoes to fill early after both Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders left the field with injuries, and Miller did not disappoint. 

Miller finished the game with 159 rushing yards on 18 carries and one touchdown, which merely sealed the Trojans win. 

After early flashes from Miller in USC’s preseason contests, coach Lincoln Riley was not surprised with how he performed given the situation. 

“(King) Stepped up, made good plays. (It) was obviously really important for us with the way that it went down,” Riley said following the win. 

Another solid performance came from Jackson, who’s late entry and touchdown added hope for what the run game can be with the Jordan and Sanders injuries. Jackson finished with 40 yards rushing on five carries, with a 29-yard rushing touchdown sealed the game for the Trojans. 

Winner: Trojans Offensive Line

Entering their matchup with the Wolverines, the USC offensive line is suffering injuries with two starters – center Kilian O’Connor and left tackle Elijah Paige. 

Riley applauded the overall performance from a shuffled offensive line, noting their solid game against a good Michigan defensive line was impressive.

“(Michigan’s) defensive line had really good players up there. The performance that they did, I don't think many offensive lines in the country would have been able to do that,” Riley said.

Taking over for O’Connor at center was J’Onre Reed, the transfer from Syracuse, while left tackle Justin Tauanuu has taken over for Paige since his injury. 

Against Michigan’s defensive line, the offensive line protected quarterback Jayden Maiava perfectly, allowing zero sacks on the night. 

Winner: USC Defense

One of the most positive takeaways from the upset was the Trojans defensive performance. Against their last two opponents in Michigan State and Illinois, USC allowed 63 points. Against the Wolverines, USC allowed 13 points, one interception and three sacks. 

Specifically looking at USC’s front seven, the performance was solid, especially when rushing the quarterback and being physical on the line of scrimmage. 

“We know we have a physical group, and within the walls, I think there's a lot of confidence,’ Riley said. “I think the biggest difference, now, is that we have some depth in terms of the line of scrimmage, the defensive front seven, with the physicality piece, it's not just one or two guys there.”

Safety Bishop Fitzgerald did what he does best – read the quarterback. Fitzgerald recorded two interceptions, racking up five total this season, along with a sack. 

“it just starts with the D-line. I think the D line did a really good job on winning the early downs, and made some third and longs against this young quarterback, and threw a lot of stuff at him,” Fitzgerald said after the win.

With the return of safety Kamari Ramsey back in his usual spot, the pass-coverage gave Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood a difficult time through the air. 

Biggest Losers in Upset Win over No. 15 Michigan

Loser: Michigan Pass Rush

In Miller and Jackson’s breakthrough performance, the Michigan pass rush allowed 238 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. 

The Wolverines are known to have one of the strongest defensive units in college football – headlined by linebackers Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham, and defensive back TJ Metcalf. 

Against a Trojan O-line, that was down two starters, the Wolverines defensive line tallied zero sacks for the first time all season. 

Losers: Michigan’s No. 15 Ranking, USC Doubters

For a Michigan team that climbed the rankings all the way to No. 15 all night, Maiava and the USC offense putting up 31 points crushed any hope of climbing the rankings any higher. 

As for fans and college football analysts who did not see USC winning the game was another loss – specifically, an ESPN College GameDay crew and analyst Dave Portnoy. 

Specifically Portnoy, who recently joined the Big Noon Kickoff broadcast this season, responded to a question regarding his respect level for USC, very low. 

During ESPN’s College GameDay’s segment of game picks, the majority of analysts went against the Trojans, with two seeing a Trojan win at the end of it. 

The Trojans are back on the road against No. 16 Notre Dame for the annual rivalry for the The Jeweled Shillelagh, and look to carry this weekend’s momentum into a 6-1 overall record.