Western Michigan President Russ Kavalhuna told reporters on Sunday, Sept. 6 that, despite his best efforts to find a way to do so, the university wouldn't appeal the controversial ending to the Broncos' Week 1 loss to Michigan.
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Mid-American Conference reversed course and asked for an appeal — which Kavalhuna backed in a separate statement — over the end of the game that provided the Wolverines and Bryce Underwood an additional second on the clock to throw a game-winning Hail Mary touchdown.
Now, on Wednesday, Sept. 9, the Western Michigan president is saying the Broncos won their Week 1 game at Michigan Stadium despite what the final box score shows.
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"Western Michigan University won that football game," Kavalhuna told CBS Sports on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
The controversy stems from the final play — and second — of Saturday's game, when Underwood's previous Hail Mary attempt sailed out of the back of the end zone as the clock at the stadium went triple zeros. However, following a review, officials put 1 second back on the clock, giving the Wolverines their opportunity to win.
In its appeal on Sept. 8, the MAC claimed that Big Ten officials and the replay booth didn't use the proper protocol when adding 1 second back on the game clock.
"The established replay protocol requires that the game clock displayed on the program feed be used in determining whether time remained," MAC Commissioner John Steinbrecher said in a statement. "Instead, the Big Ten Conference replay crew relied upon the clock feed embedded within its replay system. As a result, one second was placed back on the game clock and an additional play was awarded. This was not a judgment regarding the proper amount of time to place on the clock. It was an error in the application of the established replay protocol governing this specific end-of-game timing situation. Had the protocol been properly followed and the program-feed clock been used, no additional play would have been awarded, and Western Michigan would have won the game, 12–7."
Kavalhuna told CBS regarding the appeal: "I've said it from Saturday night on, it was very clear which football team was better. And there were two good football teams out there. And on that point that Steinbrecher mentioned, yeah, we think it's the right thing to do. If you're looking at who gets in and out of the College Football Playoff, that game can be seen as Western Michigan was the better of the two football teams."
In response to the MAC's appeal, the Big Ten said it stood by both the statement it released after Saturday's game and the replay officials' ruling.
The NCAA released a statement on Tuesday stating that there is "protocol for overturning the outcome of a game" and that the FBS Oversight Committee "does not have the authority to overturn the outcome of a game" as once the "referee declares that the game is ended, the score is final" per Rule 1-1-3-b of the NCAA Football Rulebook.
Western Michigan received seven votes in the updated US LBM Coaches Poll heading into Week 2 of the season, while Michigan received enough votes to remain in the top 25. The Wolverines did drop eight spots from No. 16 to No. 24 in the poll.
The Broncos host Monmouth at 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 12 while the Wolverines host No. 10 Oklahoma in Ann Arbor at noon ET.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Western Michigan president says Broncos 'won that football game' against Michigan
