USC Trojans' Rush Defense Key Factor In Marquee Matchup Against Michigan

The USC Trojans will face off against the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines fresh out of the bye week. USC coach Lincoln Riley is looking to earn a signature win against a ranked team. Can USC find success defending Michigan's running game?

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before an NCAA football game with the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Fresh off a bye week, the USC Trojans are looking to rebound from their 34-32 loss to the No. 17 Illinois Fighting Illini as they will face off against the No. 15 Michigan Wolverines in a primetime matchup at a sold-out Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Entering the matchup, both USC and Michigan have 4-1 records on the season. With pressure riding on both teams, USC's success against Michigan's running game will be one of the keys to the Trojans' earning a win at home.

USC's Defense Struggles Against the Run in Illinois Loss

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) tries to elude the tackle of Southern California Trojans defensive end Braylan Shelby (10) during the second half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

In the loss to Illinois, USC's defensive line was outplayed by Illinois's run game. The Trojans' struggles to defend the Fighting Illini's running game were one of many self-inflicted wounds that contributed to USC suffering its first loss of the season.

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Illinois rushed for 171 yards in the win against USC, with running back Kaden Feagin leading the Fighting Illini in rushing with 14 carries for 60 yards.

Michigan Has Excelled in the Running Game This Season

Oct 4, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines running back Justice Haynes (22) rushes in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Michigan bread and butter under coach Sherrone Moore has been running the football. The Wolverines' success running the football could be the difference in Michigan leaving Los Angeles with a statement win on the road over USC.

Alabama transfer running back Justice Haynes has been a difference-maker for Michigan this season. In five games for Michigan, Haynes leads the Big Ten in rushing with 654 yards and eight touchdowns on 85 carries.

His dominance alone could present problems for USC's defense. In Michigan's 24-10 win over Wisconsin on Saturday, Haynes rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Haynes has rushed for over 100 yards in every game this season for the Wolverines.

Michigan true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood is slowly starting to find his way as the leader of the Wolverines' offense. His running ability is another challenge that USC's defense will need to overcome to beat the Wolverines. Underwood has rushed for 181 yards and three touchdowns on the ground this season, which is third among Big Ten quarterbacks.

Oct 4, 2025; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) passes in the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Despite their struggles to defend the run in the loss to Illinois, USC's defense has shown great improvement from last season in defending the run. We'll see if the bye week helped the Trojans fix the mistakes that plagued them against the Fighting Illini.

USC's Lincoln Riley Looks to Earn a Signature Win Against Michigan

Sep 27, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley talks with players during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

It's been a while since USC coach Lincoln Riley has led USC to a win over a ranked team, with the last victory coming against No. 13 LSU to open the 2024 season. Saturday's game against Michigan presents the opportunity for Riley to earn a signature win and for USC to improve to 5-1 on the season.

Riley is under extreme pressure after the loss to Illinois to turn things around, especially with a difficult three-game stretch that starts with Michigan. USC will also play No. 16 Notre Dame (Oct. 18) and Nebraska (Nov. 1) during the three-game stretch. Two out of three wins for USC at a minimum should be enough to have Trojans fans satisfied with Riley as coach.