Michigan Survives Western Michigan in Wild Second-Chance Hail Mary Finish
No. 16 Michigan needed a controversial second chance to avoid one of the biggest upsets of the young college football season, beating Western Michigan 13-12 on Saturday night after officials restored one second to the clock and Bryce Underwood connected with JJ Buchanan on a 47-yard Hail Mary touchdown as time expired.
The finish capped a wild sequence in coach Kyle Whittingham’s Michigan debut. Underwood’s first Hail Mary attempt sailed out of bounds with the clock showing zeroes, and Western Michigan’s sideline began emptying onto the field in celebration of what appeared to be a historic upset the Broncos have played major college football since 1962 and had never beaten a team ranked in the Associated Press top 20. Officials then called for a booth review.
The Clock Controversy
TV replays appeared to show the game clock hitting zero before the ball touched a Western Michigan defender’s hands, but officials ruled that one second remained on the clock and should be restored. Hours after the game, the Big Ten issued a statement backing the decision, saying video review determined Western Michigan’s Micah Davis “started his jump from an established out-of-bounds position [left foot] and made contact with the ball with one second remaining on the clock” a scenario that stops the game clock under NCAA rules.
Given new life, Michigan snapped the ball with one second left, and Underwood found Buchanan streaking into the end zone for the game-winning score. Mid-American Conference commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said the conference and Western Michigan contacted the Big Ten office seeking clarification and were provided video and audio evidence supporting the ruling, and he thanked the Big Ten for its prompt response.
Western Michigan’s Reaction
Western Michigan president Russ Kavalhuna addressed reporters after the game in an unusual move, saying the school would pursue official channels to seek a review of the ending. “We’ll talk to our commissioner and we’ll try to see if there’s anything that we can ask for a review on,” Kavalhuna said. “Frankly, I don’t know if we can. I just want everyone to know that this football team deserves a second look, if that’s possible.”
How the Final Drive Unfolded
Buchanan was responsible for all 75 yards on Michigan’s game-winning drive, hauling in a 28-yard catch on third down to move the Wolverines past midfield before his game-ending touchdown. Michigan got the ball back with 35 seconds remaining after Western Michigan kicked a field goal to take a 12-7 lead the Broncos’ fourth field goal of the game, which came after Underwood fumbled while scrambling for a first down with 1:40 left, his second turnover of the night and Michigan’s third overall.
Underwood struggled for much of the game, finishing with just 95 passing yards before the final drive despite entering as part of a Michigan team favored by 27.5 points. Western Michigan’s offense wasn’t much sharper, managing only 221 total yards on 67 plays, but the Broncos controlled the clock for more than 43 minutes of possession time.
Whittingham Takes Responsibility
Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham, in his debut leading the Wolverines, deflected blame from his quarterback after the near-upset. “This isn’t on Bryce Underwood,” Whittingham said. “It’s on me.” He added that the team was “flirting with disaster, and that would’ve been an epic loss,” acknowledging how close Michigan came to a season-opening defeat reminiscent of past stunning losses to lower-tier opponents.
Western Michigan, the defending MAC champions who retained key players by keeping them out of the transfer portal, host Monmouth next Saturday. Michigan will face a significantly tougher test, hosting No. 10 Oklahoma in what will be a major early-season measuring stick for Whittingham’s tenure
