Through 30 minutes, things couldn’t have gotten much closer to script for No. 18 Michigan vs. No. 11 USC. The Wolverines leaned on their ground game, twice breaking through the Trojans’ defense for long touchdown runs. On the other side of the ball, Michigan did a better job of controlling the trenches and keeping everything in front of them.

As a result, the Wolverines take a 14-3 lead into halftime against the Trojans. Here are some key stats and what stands out from this game so far…

Key statistics:

QB Alex Orji: 4 of 7 passing, 21 passing yards, 7 carries, 47 rushing yards
RB Kalel Mullings: 7 carries, 72 rushing yards, TD
RB Donovan Edwards: 12 carries, 65 rushing yards, TD

Key statistics:

QB Miller Moss: 11 of 20 passing, 134 passing yards
RB Woody Marks: 6 carries, 5 rushing yards
WR Zachariah Branch: 4 catches, 85 receiving yards

This is the kind of game Michigan needed to play, and it’s been scripted for the Wolverines thus far. Expect Riley and the Trojans to open things up a bit more offensively and find one-on-one matchups they like against Michigan’s defenders in the second half. If Michigan can continue to limit explosives and generate yards on the ground offensively, they’ll have put themselves in a position to pull off an upset in Ann Arbor today.

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