ANN ARBOR, Michigan — In what was a huge game for both teams, especially Michigan coming off a loss, the Wolverines came out on top in the first half. Michigan took a 14-0 lead by rolling with its run game. The Wolverines defense stifled the USC offense with constant pressure on quarterback Miller Moss. Michigan would take a 14-3 lead at the break.

But here came the Trojans. USC fought tooth and nail in the second half, while Michigan’s offense couldn’t get a first down until late in the fourth quarter. But then it was Kalel Mullings’ turn. He took a 63-yard run into USC territory with less than two minutes left in the game. The Wolverines had a fourth-and-goal at the Trojans’ two-yard line, and Mullings scored from there to give Michigan the lead.

Michigan struggled in the second half, but their heroic performance in the final period saw them move ahead 3-1 after a 27-24 victory.

Here are five key points from the match.

It was all Michigan in the first half. The Wolverines could make no mistakes. Michigan dominated the trenches on both sides of the ball and went up 14-3 after the break. Alex Orji, Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings were great in the first half with the ball and the UM defense kept Miller Moss in trouble.

It all worked, until it didn’t.

USC came out of the half the better team. The Trojans scored a pair of touchdowns, while Will Johnson had a pick-six, which was the only source of offense for the Wolverines. Michigan had mistakes after mistakes, such as Donovan Edwards fumbling in the fourth quarter and Kenneth Grant fumbling the ball after a USC fumble. The Trojans would score touchdowns after both.

The Wolverines’ play-calling tightened up and Michigan was lifeless on offense. When the Trojans figured out how to stop the Michigan run game, it was all USC.

But all it took was one final drive. Kalel Mullings was the show and did the heroics. He had a huge 63-yard run to get it into USC territory before finishing with a touchdown on fourth-and-goal.

The Wolverines didn’t open the pass attack on Saturday, but they didn’t need to in the first half. The second half was a different story, but once again the play-calling wouldn’t even allow him to get in the air. Michigan was content to run the ball and let the defense do the dirty work.

Alex Orji under center did exactly what Michigan expected of him. He not only took care of the ball, but he also added a new twist to Michigan’s offense with his running ability. Orji made precise moves, helped move the chains with his legs, and helped open things up for his running backs.

Orji finished with 32 yards through the air and added 43 yards on the ground. While we don’t know exactly what Orji could provide if Michigan needed him to get up in the air to win, we do know that the Wolverines’ run game is even more deadly going forward. But there will be a game where Michigan will have to rely on his arm, and that’s the million-dollar question.

It’s Week 4 and Michigan continues to struggle with some of the fundamentals on defense. Tackling continues to be a concern and it’s a problem across the board at every level. We’ve seen missed tackles from Mason Graham, to the linebackers and all the way back to the secondary.

But what about communication? The Wolverines seem constantly lost on the field when it comes to defense. Sitting in the press box, we see players with their hands up and looking like they’re not sure where to stand, and then it switches to the play. On a couple of USC’s scoring drives, the Wolverines would be in zone and the USC receiver would pass them and no one would pick him up.

Whether it’s Wink Martindale’s plan or a personnel issue, it needs to be resolved.

Michigan entered the game ranked 91st in the nation with four sacks through three games. Josaiah Stewart was the only starter on the D-line to record a sack heading into Week 4. But on Saturday, all four starters did what every Michigan fan wanted to see: cause chaos.

Michigan’s defense imploded in the second half, but it wasn’t because of a mistake by the front four. It took all 11 guys on defense, and if it weren’t for Josaiah Stewart, Derrick Moore, Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham, this game wouldn’t have been as close as it was.

Miller Moss was sacked four times and Michigan’s front line found itself in the backfield quite often.

The Wolverines’ secondary was once again a problem against an elite passing offense.

Michigan still chose to start center Dom Giudice, while Greg Crippen rotated him. The Wolverines need to pick someone and stick with it. It’s Week 4 heading into Week 5, and the Wolverines need some sort of continuity on the O-line moving forward. What’s baffling is that right tackle Evan Link has struggled a lot in pass protection this season, and there’s no one to replace him.

We also talked about Jyaire Hill and this secondary. Hill was one of the better tacklers for Michigan and had a great first half. But those issues returned in the second half and he looked lost in coverage several times. This wasn’t just a Hill issue, others had issues as well, even veteran Makari Paige. Hill made some really nice plays for Michigan, including a PBU late in the fourth quarter.

Michigan has some tough decisions to make, but getting the right players on the field and sticking with them is crucial.

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