Wolverine Digest

Lincoln Riley: USC allows only 7 points without Michigan's long run plays

The Trojans' head coach mostly liked what he saw from his defense, but laments the big plays that led to a Wolverines' victory in Ann Arbor...

Matt Lounsberry

Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium.
Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley on the sideline in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
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As the old clichés go, football is "a game of inches" that "comes down to one or two plays" or "a bounce of the ball here or there".

USC head coach Lincoln Riley described Michigan's 27-24 win over the Trojans in a similar manner while talking to reporters on Wednesday.

“The tape revealed, we saw 47 runs and we played 43 of them like a bunch of bosses, honestly. That’s what it revealed," Riley said. "Now, that doesn't excuse the fact that the three long ones that got out, we've got to make those 10 or 12-yard runs. When somebody runs it that amount of times and are a talented group, they're going to get through clean, like, every now and again. But, we've got to limit those, you know, that's got to be a 10-yard run, 12-yard run. If it is, we probably give up seven points in that game."

Michigan had five explosive runs (10 yards or more) against USC on Saturday: Touchdowns of 53 and 41 yards from Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards, respectively; the 63-yarder from Mullings which set up his game-winning touchdown; and runs of 15 and 14 yards from wide receiver Fred Moore and quarterback Alex Orji, respectively. Those five plays accounted for 186 of Michigan's 290 rushing yards on Saturday, and four of the five came on drives in which the Wolverines would score a touchdown.


There's a reason why cliches become commonly spoken. There's usually a lot of truth to them, and Riley's words fit that description. Removing two sacks and Orji's kneel down at the end of the game, the Wolverines averaged just 2.74 yards per carry on the other 38 rush attempts against USC. If not for U-M cornerback Will Johnson's electric interception returned for a touchdown, the Wolverines' offensive effort likely wasn't enough to beat the Trojans. However, the big plays did happen, and that was all Michigan needed.

"Limiting explosive plays" is another cliche that coaches often use, and USC was overall better at limiting those plays than Michigan was. Of the Wolverines' 58 total plays, the five explosives made up 8.6 percent, and the 186 yards generated on those explosives made up 58.8% of the Wolverines' total offense (322 yards). On the other side, the Trojans' 10 explosives (seven passes, three runs) made up 13.7% of USC's total plays (73) and 13.7% of the Trojans' total yards (379).

Riley's comments are reminiscent of the ones Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and defensive coordinator Jim Knowles made after the Wolverines' beat the Buckeyes, 45-23, in 2022. In that game, Michigan had five touchdown plays of 20 yards or more, and both Day and Knowles cited "a couple plays here or there" as the difference in Michigan's 22-point win.

Regardless of the validity of the statements made by Riley, Day or Knowles, the fact of the matter is that Michigan made the big plays that led to victory in each of those games. On Saturday, that included Johnson's pick-six, and four sacks of USC quarterback Miller Moss with several more pressures. Games between top teams often do come down to "a handful of plays" and, in the end, the Wolverines made one or two more than the Trojans.

- Enjoy more Michigan Wolverines coverage on Michigan Wolverines On SI -

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Matt Lounsberry
MATT LOUNSBERRY

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