Miraculous. Shocking. Unbelievable. The Michigan Wolverines survived an upset scare from the Western Michigan Broncos with a stunning 13-12 win as J.J. Buchanan improbably grabbed a game-winning 47-yard touchdown at Michigan Stadium on Saturday.
Here’s how it all went down.
First quarter
Michigan jumped out to a quick lead, putting together a 75-yard, 11-play drive to go up 7-0 on the opening possession. The drive got going
with a one-handed catch from Buchanan, and ended with a one-yard touchdown run by Bryce Underwood.
Underwood went a perfect 5-for-5 on the opening drive, recording 72 total yards and finding the end zone for the first time in 2026. In addition to the acrobatic 20-yard snag, Buchanan also had an eight-yard catch on the first play of the game.
Western Michigan was looking to respond with a touchdown drive of its own, but Michigan cornerback Smith Snowden came up with a big-time tackle to force a field goal attempt. Dieter Kelly connected on a 52-yard field goal to trim Michigan’s lead to 7-3.
Unfortunately for the Wolverines, the final minutes of the first quarter weren’t nearly as smooth as the opening drive. Michigan committed an illegal formation penalty and Underwood was nearly intercepted. Later in the quarter, wide receiver Andrew Marsh muffed a punt to give the Broncos greay field position.
With the exception of the first possession, the first quarter of the season wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty for Michigan. However, the defense continued to step up as defensive tackle Trey Pierce had a quarterback pressure to help force a turnover on downs.
End of 1Q: Michigan 7, Western Michigan 3
Second quarter
In the early stages of the second quarter, edge rushers Dominic Nichols and Nate Marshall got into the backfield and came up with a much-needed sack. That was followed by a shoe-string tackle from Snowden on third down to force a punt.
But Michigan’s offense continued to sputter, going three straight drives without picking up a single first down. The offensive futility was alarming to say the least, but the defense got another critical stop in the final minutes of the half.
Nichols recorded a quarterback pressure that led to a tackle for loss by cornerback Jyaire Hill. On the very next play, Hill had a quarterback hurry of his own. It was enough to get the ball back to the offense one more time, but then disaster happened.
Underwood under threw a pass to the sideline and was intercepted by Dillon Moore with nine seconds left in the half. Western Michigan was able to take advantage with a 45-yard field goal to cut Michigan’s lead to 7-6 heading into halftime.
HALFTIME: Michigan 7, Western Michigan 6
Third quarter
On the first offensive possession of the second half, Underwood found Buchannan for 14 yards and Marsh for 11 yards to pick up a pair of first downs. However, a holding penalty on Underwood halted the drive and Michigan had to punt.
It appeared Bryson Kuzdzal had a big run that would have put the Wolverines in position to score and extend the lead, but Underwood’s penalty stopped momentum — giving the ball back to Western Michigan with 9:05 left in the period.
The Broncos proceeded to pick up five straight first downs, including Broc Lowry hitting Aveion Chenault for a 16-yard gain on third and long. Despite trailing 7-6, Western Michigan seized all the momentum heading into the fourth quarter.
End of 3Q: Michigan 7, Western Michigan 6
Fourth quarter
Western Michigan was inching towards scoring a touchdown, but Troy Bowles and Nichols each had a clutch tackle to force the Broncos to settle for a field goal. Kelly hit his third field goal of the game — a go-ahead 39-yarder with 10:25 left.
With the Broncos leading 9-7, Michigan desperately needed a scoring drive but just couldn’t come up with anything. Savion Hiter was stuffed on second and short, and Underwood’s pass to Buchanan fell incomplete on a pivotal third down.
Western Michigan ran nearly six minutes off the clock before the Wolverines finally forced a punt. There wasn’t much time or hope left for Michigan as they got the ball back with only 3:12 remaining in the fourth quarter and trailing 9-7.
The following sequence was a microcosm of the game, as the Wolverines were called for an illegal substitution penalty for having 12 players in the huddle — which is unacceptable in itself — then Underwood catastrophically fumbled the ball.
Western Michigan wasn’t able to quite run out the rest of the clock, so the Broncos opted for a 33-yard field goal to extend the lead to 12-7. There wasn’t much hope left for the home crowd, but Michigan had one last gasp with just 35 seconds left.
Apparently, that’s all the Wolverines needed. Underwood found Buchanan for a 28-yard pick up to get within Hail Mary range. Still, it appeared the game was over as Underwood’s pass went out of the end zone, but one second was put back on the clock after review.
Then history happened. Underwood scrambled in the pocket to give the receivers time to get downfield, launched the ball as far as he could, and Buchanan leaped into the air and somehow came down with an unforgettable game-winning touchdown.
FINAL SCORE: Michigan 13, Western Michigan 12
MICHIGAN STAT LEADERS
- QB Bryce Underwood: 12-for-22, 170 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown, 1 interception; 47 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown
- WR J.J. Buchanan: 126 receiving yards (game-high), 1 touchdown, 6 receptions
- LB Troy Bowles: 12 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss
- DE Dom Nichols: 9 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks
- DB Jyaire Hill: 7 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss
WESTERN MICHIGAN STAT LEADERS
- QB Broc Lowry: 15-for-21, 89 passing yards; 35 rushing yards
- RB Jalen Buckley Jr: 62 rushing yards, 19 carries
- WR Aveion Chenault: 53 receiving yards, 6 receptions
- LB Dillon Moore: 6 total tackles, 1 interception
UP NEXT
Michigan will follow up its unreal win with a massive non-conference game against the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday at noon.
