ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Bryce Underwood watched his pass sail out of bounds, and he thought he knew what that meant for No. 16 Michigan.
“I definitely thought the game was over because there were zeroes on the clock,” he said.
So did Western Michigan. So did a lot of people watching.
Given a second chance by a disputed replay decision, Underwood and the Wolverines took advantage. JJ Buchanan pulled in Underwood's 47-yard, second-chance miracle heave
for a game-ending, game-winning touchdown, and Michigan escaped with a 13-12 win over the Broncos on Saturday night in coach Kyle Whittingham’s debut.
“We were flirting with disaster, and that would’ve been an epic loss,” Whittingham said.
Indeed, Michigan fans were already having flashbacks to a season-opening loss to Appalachian State in 2007, when the Wolverines faltered as 33-point favorites. They were projected to win by 27 1/2 points over the Broncos but had to experience momentarily watching WMU celebrate the victory at Michigan Stadium before the replay decision made the winning score possible.
Michigan fans stormed the field after the win, but the team was hardly in the mood for a party.
“Sick to my stomach is the way I explain my feelings about that game,” defensive end Dom Nichols said.
On what seemed to be the final play of the game, Underwood chucked a Hail Mary pass that sailed beyond the end zone and into the arms of a Broncos defender.
TV replays appeared to show the clock hitting zero with the ball still in the air, but officials ruled there was a second still to play.
“We’ll talk to our commissioner, and we’ll try to see if there’s anything that we can ask for a review on,” Western Michigan President Russ Kavahuna said. “Frankly, I don’t know if we can. I just want everyone to know, this football deserves a second look if that’s possible.”
Whittingham said he thought there was a second left on the clock, while Broncos coach Lance Taylor said he hadn't seen a replay before speaking to reporters.
“Several people mentioned to me that the game was over,” Taylor said. "I think our commissioner has reached out.
"When I looked up after the first Hail Mary, there were zeroes on the clock.”
Underwood took advantage of another chance to win the game, and redeem himself from a poor performance, with Buchanan leaping to snag the football and coming down with it in the end zone.
“We practiced it three or four times over the last month,” said Underwood, who added it was “a blessing” to have another second put back on the clock.
Whittingham was hired to stabilize a program reeling after the firing and arrest of Sherrone Moore, who held the job for just two seasons following Jim Harbaugh's tenure that included a 2023 national title along with a spying scandal and NCAA sanctions for recruiting violations.
There hasn't been much drama off the field, but this was hardly an encouraging start on it.
“That was a moment we don’t really want to be living,” Nichols said.
Michigan will have to improve quickly to compete next week with No. 10 Oklahoma at home.
“If we don’t play a lot better, it’s not going to be pretty,” Whittingham said.
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