"The walk-on took his place next to USC 's quarterback, the last man standing in a battered backfield. In the midst of a bruising Big Ten battle with Michigan, where brawn and ball control were at a premium, both of the Trojans' top two running backs had already been carted up the Coliseum tunnel. Two of their top linemen, meanwhile, started Saturday in street clothes. The circumstances were anything but ideal for a team whose season hung in the balance."
"King Miller, though, was already familiar with beating long odds. Not long ago, the redshirt freshman was buried on the depth chart, a preferred walk-on from Calabasas High without any obvious path to playing time at USC. But that was before Saturday, before Miller saw a crease in the Michigan defense, before he took off on a breakaway, game-changing run that broke open the game and eventually lifted USC to a statement-making, 31-13 win over No. 15 Michigan."
"Miller had just two carries for 10 yards to his name, when Waymond Jordan, the Trojans' leading rusher, hopped off the field in the second quarter, unable to put any weight on his foot. His next 16 carries, though, would go for 148 yards. His outburst began with that breakaway early in the third quarter, as Miller slipped through a hole and took off, stutter-stepping his way past one Michigan defender a"
USC defeated No. 15 Michigan 31-13 as walk-on redshirt freshman King Miller rushed for 148 yards on 16 carries after the Trojans' top two running backs exited with injuries. Miller's breakaway runs in the second half opened the game and provided critical offensive momentum. Two top linemen were unavailable, leaving the backfield battered and depth-tested. USC's defense limited Michigan to 207 passing yards and 3.5 yards per carry, helping the team rebound from a loss to Illinois. Lincoln Riley, who had been 3-11 against ranked opponents, earned a statement victory.
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