The Michigan football team (4-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) struggled against Southern California (5-1, 3-1), ultimately losing its first Big Ten game of the season by a final score of 31-13.
The Wolverines offense struggled to get much of anything going. Freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood threw 15-for-24 for 207 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw an interception. Sophomore running back Jordan Marshall took over lead back duties in the second quarter after junior Justice Haynes left the game with an injury.
Freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh had another strong game, hauling in eight receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown.
For the second week in a row, Michigan's defense came out flat. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava calmly led his offense down the field for an opening drive touchdown, capped off by wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane's 2-yard catch in the end zone. Before the Wolverines could touch the football, they were down 7-0.
Michigan didn't exactly bounce right back like it did against Wisconsin, going three-and-out on its first possession and giving the ball right back to Maiava and the Trojans. But just as it seemed like USC was going to coast in for another touchdown — or at least a field goal — junior defensive back Jyaire Hill laid a massive hit on a Trojan receiver, forcing a fumble that the Wolverines recovered.
While Michigan's offense had more success the second time around, a penalty and a sack moved the Wolverines out of field goal range, forcing a punt and keeping the score at 7-0 with just under 12 minutes left in the half.
Regardless, the fumble knocked some of USC's momentum loose as well, and Michigan's defense was able to force a punt. This time, the Wolverines capitalized on the stop. The 14-play, 86-yard drive ended in an eight yard touchdown pass to graduate wide receiver Donaven McCulley, knotting the score at 7-7 with just over three minutes remaining in the half.
Not lost in the touchdown celebration, however, Haynes went to the locker room with an apparent injury during the drive, leaving Marshall to take over as the lead back.
But the Trojans weren't done with the first half yet. On the back of third-string running back King Miller, USC busted off a quick 75-yard touchdown drive, finished off by an impressive catch by Makai Lemon. With very little time left on the clock, the Trojans took a 14-7 lead into halftime.
For the Michigan offense, the second half started just as the first began: a three-and-out. USC mirrored the start to the game as well, making quick work of the Wolverines defense and collecting a touchdown to make the score 21-7. The Trojans were threatening to run Michigan out of the game.
The Wolverines had no answer for King Miller. After Michigan's offense once again came away empty-handed, Miller broke off a 47-yard rush to get his team to Michigan's 24-yard line, with a chance to go up by three scores.
Once again, however, the Wolverines picked up a big turnover in the red zone, this time in the form of an interception by senior defensive back Zeke Berry.
It briefly looked like the interception was the break Michigan needed. The Wolverines gained four first downs, pushing the ball to USC's 29-yard line. But then Underwood made his biggest mistake of the game. Trying to get the ball to McCulley, Underwood forced a pass into double coverage and gave the Trojans an interception of their own.
USC got one play off before the last seconds of the quarter ticked away, and it took the ball and a 21-7 lead into the final 15 minutes of play.
The Trojans were forced to take a field goal to push the score to 24-7, but it still put USC up three scores with just 10 minutes to play.
Michigan still had some signs of life. On the second play of the following drive, Underwood connected with freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh for a 69-yard touchdown. The Wolverines went for the two-point conversion, but were unsuccessful, making the score 24-13 with a little more than nine minutes left in the game.
Any hopes of a Michigan comeback were squandered just nine plays later. USC running back Bryan Jackson broke off a 29-yard touchdown scamper, making the score 31-13 and sealing the game with just over four minutes left in the game. The clocked ticked down to zeros with no more changes to the score, and Michigan fell to 1-2 on the road in 2025.
