ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan welcomed USC to the Big Ten with a heavy dose of smashmouth football.

Kalel Mullings rushed 2 yards for a touchdown run on fourth-and-goal with 37 seconds left to lead the 18th-ranked Wolverines to a 27-24 victory over the 11th-ranked Trojans in their regular season debut.

Michigan (3-1, 1-0) rallied from a 14-0 lead lost in the first half and fumbled twice in the second half to extend its Big Ten winning streak to a school-record 26 games.

The Wolverines won on a 10-play, 89-yard touchdown drive with Mullings doing most of the work.

The former linebacker converted a third down from Michigan’s 20-yard line with a 63-yard run and closed out the possession with his second touchdown behind a fullback in a jumbo package that left little doubt where the ball was going.

“It’s not five guys, it’s seven tight ends,” Mullings said.

Michigan and USC have played each other 10 times before, eight of them in the Rose Bowl, and not in the regular season since 1958.

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

USC’s last chance ended with a throw on fourth down, but it ended up just off the stick, near midfield.

“I think it was just a classic, back-and-forth battle,” Trojans coach Lincoln Riley said.

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

Moss completed 28 of 51 plays for 283 yards with a season-high three touchdowns and an interception that was returned for Michigan’s only other second-half scoring goal.

“I feel like I cost our team a lot,” Moss said.

USC’s Woody Marks ran for 100 yards on 13 attempts and ripped the ball out of Kenneth Grant’s hands after the big defensive tackle recovered a fumble for Michigan.

Moss came back from a pick-six to Will Johnson to give the reigning national champions a double-digit lead in the third quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jay Fair later in the quarter. His third touchdown pass to Lane with 7:01 left in the fourth quarter came on Marks’ steal deep in Michigan territory.

Michigan needed a touchdown in the final minute to win, trailing by four points. USC defensive tackle Gavin Meyer blocked the extra point after Johnson had returned a touchdown with an interception.

A decisive score was also needed, as Edwards fumbled a touchdown for the Trojans while Michigan had no passing threat.

“Teams are going to stack the box and stop the run, and we still have to run the ball,” Mullings said.

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

“If we threw a million yards today and we lost, I would be sitting here crying,” Orji said.

The takeaway meal

USC’s revamped defense under new coordinator D’Anton Lynn was in control most of the time, but gave up three long runs and couldn’t stop the ball on the goal line.

“We came up one game short,” Riley said.

Moore earned his first major victory as Jim Harbaugh’s successor, making enough strides that ultimately culminated in a potentially decisive match in his first season.

“Our players never moved a muscle and that is something you can be really proud of,” he said.

Battered

USC receiver Makai Lemon left the field in the first quarter after taking a hit while covering a punt. Trojans tight end Lake McRee was hit hard on his left knee, leading to another target from Moss. Riley had no update on their conditions after the game.

Johnson was forced to leave the field in the second half with an apparent injury.

“He could have come back,” Moore said.

Colston Loveland, Michigan’s All-America tight end for the exhibition season, was held out of the game after suffering an injury last week.

Implications for the poll

Michigan could climb into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season, continuing its streak of 51 consecutive weeks in the rankings since the start of the 2021 season. USC could drop slightly in the poll.

Next

USC hosts Wisconsin on Saturday.

Michigan hosts Minnesota on Saturday.

— Larry Lage | AP Sports Reporter