The Michigan Wolverines (2-1) host their fourth game in the big house this year against a new Big Ten team, the USC Trojans (2-0), on Saturday at 3:30 PM on CBS. Both teams will look to get off to a 1-0 start on the path to what they hope will be a Big Ten championship. The Wolverines are 4-6 all-time against USC, and eight matchups were in the Rose Bowl. Michigan sports a 2-6 record against USC in the Rose Bowl and a 2-0 regular season record.
Michigan Wolverines vs. USC Trojans Game Quotes
The most significant talking point for Michigan this year has been quarterback. What seemed like a two-QB system early in the year slowly became a role dominated by Davis Warren. Yet as Warren has struggled significantly, Alex Orji was put into the game as the full-time quarterback halfway into the third quarter against Arkansas State.
Earlier this week, Michigan Wolverines head coach Sherrone Moore announced that Orji would be the starting quarterback against USC.
“The biggest thing we say as a program, we’ve got to take care of the football,” Moore told WXYT radio. “The football was put in jeopardy too many times. It’s Orji’s time to give him a chance. He went in there, executed and we’re ready for him to take the reins.”
Moore told the media that he made the decision early in the week. He announced it to the players because he wanted his team to know that he had confidence that Orji could execute. Moore also indicated to the media just how many playmakers USC has on both sides of the ball.
“Obviously, the quarterback’s really good. I think the line is good,” Moore said. “No. 1, Branch, he’s explosive, twitchy, big playmaker. But on defense, I’d say No. 6, their defensive end, Lucas, he’s a game-wrecker that we’ve got to definitely have our eyes on.” Both the defense will have to gameplan for a multitude of explosive playmakers on both sides of the ball.
Meanwhile, USC head coach Lincoln Riley is known as an offensive mastermind and told the media that they have a lot of respect for the Michigan defense while game planning.
“There’s NFL players all over the place, and a lot of guys that were part of winning a national championship last year,” began Riley. “There’s a lot of good players, a lot of good coaches at that place. Again, everybody — we live it every year. It’s not anything new. You understand it. But I mean, everybody wants to write the story after a couple games in the season for everyone, and it’s just a long season, man. That’s a good football team that we have a lot of respect for, and to have anything less would be a mistake on our part.”
Riley has his hands full with the number of elite players Michigan has on defense, both on the defensive line and in the secondary. While USC has some great players offensively, they will be in for a significant test against Michigan.
Key Players for Michigan
One of the more important aspects for Michigan’s offense will be Colston Loveland’s availability. One of the best the tight ends in the country, Loveland barely played the second half due to an upper-body injury. His availability will be critical for Michigan. If Loveland is limited, Marlin Klein, a 6-foot, 6-inch tight end from Germany, will be a pivotal target for Orji.
The run game including Donovan Edwards, Kalel Mullings, and now Orji is what will make this offense go. Both Mullings and Edwards have split carries, but this matchup could push one further ahead in snap count than the other.
Meanwhile, Orji is a dynamic and powerful runner who can keep USC off balance. He can also make the lives of Edwards and Mullings easier as the USC defense won’t be able to key into that part of the game as much.
Defensively for the Wolverines, the strength of this defense is once again within the defensive line. Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant must be better than they were against Texas in stopping the run and generating interior pass rush. If Graham and Grant are able to generate that pash rush, that opens the door for Josiah Stewart and Derrick Moore to have monster days on the edge.
Jaishawn Barham and Ernest Hausman have to be better, too. Their level of play hasn’t been at the point it has needed to be, and with a huge game coming up, they will be more important than ever in the run and pass game.
Meanwhile, Will Johnson will do his job as a lockdown corner. However, the rest of secondary has to pull their weight on Saturday. Versus Texas, they struggled mightily. Fans will hope that players like Jyaire Hill, Makari Paige, and Zeke Berry can have big bounce back weeks.
Key Players for USC
USC is transitioning quarterbacks this year from former Heisman winner Caleb Williams, to Miller Moss. Moss has looked incredibly promising this season as a pocket passer with elite accuracy.
Running back Woody Marks and wide receivers Zachariah Branch and Kyron Hudson are the primary playmakers for the Trojans. All three have been key pieces that make this offense so explosive and tough to defend. Look for them to have big games versus the Wolverines.
Defensively, the unit is much improved from last year. What was one of the worst units in the Power 5 last season has suddenly become one of the best.
Cornerbacks Jacobe Covington and Jaylin Smith have become much better tacklers. Linebacker Eric Gentry leads the unit from the middle of the field as one of the better linebackers in the Big Ten. Edge rusher Anthony Lucas looks like he got shot out of a cannon on every play, and will give Michigan’s inexperienced tackles major issues.
Keys for the Michigan Wolverines to Win
Win The Turnover Battle
Michigan has struggled offensively in terms of turnovers. They’ve given the ball to the opposing defense three times in each of their last two games. USC on the other hand is incredibly safe with the ball.
With the state of Michigan’s offense, they cannot afford to give USC’s offense free possessions, especially in prime field position. Michigan has to emphasis protecting the football especially with Alex Orji at football. Ball security has to be preached to the offense. If Michigan’s defense can force a turnover and give the offense good field position, that could be the stolen possession Michigan needs to win.
Make Miller Moss Uncomfortable
Moss has looked exceptional this season as an extremely accurate and on-time passer. However, he is not the dynamic runner that Caleb Williams once was. Forcing Moss to throw off-platform and making him uncomfortable will be critical.
The Wolverines’ defensive line has to generate pressure, unlike how they played against Texas. This secondary simply cannot hold up like it did last year, so making their job easier by forcing Moss to get the ball out fast and making him uncomfortable is vital.
Play Disciplined Football
Last season the Michigan Wolverines had one of the most pro-ready, disciplined teams in the nation. This season, they have shown a lack of discipline when they’ve needed it most. Defensively, they do a good job of forcing the opposing offense into third and long situations. However, a sheer lack of discipline often finds the chains moving.
Whether it’s from coverage breakdowns that allow for easy completions or unacceptable penalties, the defense has struggled to get off the field when it matters most. As Michigan starts, Big Ten play, this lack of discipline is sure to be punished by some of the better teams in the conference – especially with a brutal schedule.
