Kalel Mullings surged 2 yards for a touchdown run on fourth down with 37 seconds left, lifting No. 18 Michigan to a 27-24 win over No. 11 Southern California on Saturday, welcoming the Trojans to the Big Ten with a heavy dose of smashmouth football.

The Wolverines (3-1, 1-0) overcame losing a 14-0 lead in the first half and coughing up two fumbles in the second half. They won with a 10-play, 89-yard TD drive, with Mullings doing most of the work.

He capped it with his second touchdown of the game, this one running behind a fullback in a jumbo package that left little doubt where the ball was going.

!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/HMTgB8YgGI

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) September 21, 2024

The Trojans (2-1, 0-1) went ahead 24-20 midway through the fourth when Miller Moss threw his third touchdown pass, a 24-yarder to Ja’Kobi Lane.

Update: No. 11 @uscfb has the lead at The Big House.#B1GFootball on CBS 📺 pic.twitter.com/fjvHm074Bv

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 21, 2024

USC’s last chance ended with a fourth-down throw coming up short of the line to gain near midfield.

Mullings had a career-high 159 yards rushing, including a 53-yard scoring run to put the Wolverines ahead early, and Donovan Edwards had a 41-yard run to give them a two-touchdown lead.

Donovan Edwards finds a gap. Donovan Edwards takes it in! pic.twitter.com/qm9pC9CWX0

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) September 21, 2024

Moss was 28 of 51 for 283 yards with a season-high three touchdowns and a costly interception.

Dang, that was pretty 😍 pic.twitter.com/F6ILFsYsn7

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) September 21, 2024

USC’s Woody Marks ran for 100 yards on 13 carries, and ripped the football out of defensive tackle Kenneth Grant’s hand after he recovered the big defensive tackle had recovered a fumble for Michigan.

Moss bounced back from throwing a pick-6 to Will Johnson that gave the defending national champions a double-digit lead in third quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jay Fair later in the quarter and his third touchdown pass to Lane with 7:01 left in the fourth.

Michigan needed a touchdown, trailing by four, in the final minute to win because USC defensive tackle Gavin Meyer blocked the extra point after Johnson’s interception return for a touchdown.

It also needed the clutch score because Edwards fumbled to set up a Trojans touchdown, Grant’s fumble helped the Big Ten newcomers score — and Michigan didn’t have a passing threat.

Alex Orji made his first start at quarterback and was 7 of 12 for 32 yards and ran 13 times for 43 yards.

The takeaway

USC’s revamped defense under new coordinator D’Anton Lynn held up well in the second half against an opponent that couldn’t pass. And then broke on Mullings’ long, tackle-breaking run and couldn’t complete the goal-line stand.

Michigan coach Sherrone Moore earned his first signature win as Jim Harbaugh’s successor, making enough moves that panned out in what was potentially a pivotal game in his first season.

BANGED UP

USC receiver Makai Lemon left the in the first quarter after taking a hit while covering a punt. Trojans tight end Lake McRee was hit hard on his left knee, taking another target off the field for Moss.

Johnson left the field in the second half with an apparent injury.

Poll implications

Michigan may move up for the first time this season in the AP Top 25 and will extend a 51-straight week run of being ranked since early in the 2021 season and USC might slip a little in the poll.

Up next

USC hosts Wisconsin on Saturday.

Michigan hosts Minnesota on Saturday.

A preliminary 3.0-magnitude earthquake rattled parts of Malibu Saturday afternoon, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The temblor occurred at 2:15 p.m. roughly 3 miles from Malibu at a depth of about 6 miles, the agency reported.

Residents in Long Beach, the South Bay and various parts of Los Angeles reported feeling the temblor.

No injuries or structural damage were reported in connection with the earthquake.

Law enforcement is searching for the driver of an electric scooter who struck and injured an elderly man on a sidewalk in Koreatown.

The crash happened shortly before 5 p.m. on Sept. 12 on the 2800 block of James M Wood Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. There, surveillance cameras captured a man and a woman traveling on separate Lime electric scooters on the sidewalk.

Video shows the woman traveling ahead of the man on her scooter and then crashing into a pedestrian. The two then took off.

Firefighters responded to the scene and treated the victim for a head injury. That man denied transportation to a hospital, LAPD said. It is unclear how severe his injuries were.

A hit-and-run report was taken at the scene, and detectives are continuing their investigation.

Electric scooters are not allowed to be driven on sidewalks and must be driven on bike lanes. Those who are traveling on electric scooters must follow local traffic laws.

In a statement, Lime said it is aware of the incident and is cooperating with authorities.

“Lime is deeply saddened by this incident and our heart goes out to the victim,” the company said. “We are investigating this matter internally and stand ready to assist the police in any way we can.”

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact LAPD’s Olympic Community Police Station at 213-382-9102.