Week 1 Gets Its Signature Moment when No. 16 Michigan Beats Western Michigan on Disputed Finish
Officials added one second after review, and Bryce Underwood hit JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard touchdown that preserved Michigan’s 13-12 win.
- On Saturday, Michigan defeated Western Michigan 13-12 after officials controversially restored one second to the clock, allowing quarterback Bryce Underwood to connect with receiver JJ Buchanan on a 47-yard Hail Mary touchdown on the final play at Michigan Stadium.
- Western Michigan controlled the game, leading 12-7 late in the fourth quarter following a 20-play drive consuming nearly 14 minutes; the Broncos held the Wolverines to a single touchdown for nearly the entire regulation period.
- NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay questioned the decision, stating, "The ball isn't even close to touching a player when it goes to zero." Television broadcasts showed the clock hitting 0:00 before contact occurred.
- Following the victory, Michigan fans stormed the field, drawing criticism from ESPN reporter Wayne Drehs, who called the celebration "inappropriate" for a narrow home win against an underdog program.
- Coach Kyle Whittingham won his debut but acknowledged the Wolverines face "plenty of work" before hosting Oklahoma next week, entering the 2026 season 1-0 despite the controversial finish.
111 Articles
111 Articles
JJ Buchanan & Bryce Underwood speak on last second 'Hail Mary' to win 13-12 over Western Michigan
Ann Arbor, Mich - (WJRT) - The Michigan Wolverines started the year off 1-0 after a 13-12 last second win over Western Michigan. Sophomore Quarterback Bryce Underwood launched a 'Hail
Bob Wojnowski: Michigan needs timely miracle to beat Western Michigan, which doesn’t bode well
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — One tick, one toss, one moment of instant insanity. Michigan was about to suffer perhaps the ugliest home loss in program history, until replay officials found one more second, and the Wolverines got one more shot.
A Loss Would Have Been Less Embarrassing Than Michigan's Win Over Western Michigan
Even before it slipped into janky comedy in its dying moments, you wouldn't necessarily say that Michigan's season opener against Western Michigan on Saturday was "a good football game." But also just making such an assessment would be missing the point to an extent. It was certainly shaping up as a very specific type of college football game. It's one in which a power conference team playing poorly loses to a MAC team—it has to be a MAC team; t…
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