A controversial call at the end of the game between Western Michigan and Michigan resulted in 1-point win for the 16th-ranked Wolverines as time expired.
It was as improbable of a win for Michigan as you will see. The Wolverines went down to their final play to pull out a 13-12 win over Western Michigan avoiding a monumental upset Saturday night in Ann Arbor. The game-winning play came via quarterback Bryce Underwood who heaved a 47-yard Hail Mary caught by JJ Buchanan in the end zone.
The Wolverines were only able to take the field after the officials called a review to look over the game clock. It was deemed 1 second remained after a failed pass on second-and-10 from Underwood on the previous play. Replays seemed to show the clock expired before the ball was touched but official disagreed.
It resulted in Western Michigan’s eighth loss to their in-state foe. The Broncos have never beaten the Wolverines.
Michigan went into the game as a nearly four-touchdown favorite but the Broncos controlled the game for a big portion of the night. Their defense limited the scoring opportunities for Michigan and posted back to back shutout quarters.
Western Michigan dominated the time of possession 40:08-19:52. Neither team accounted for more than 280 yards of total offense in the defensive battle.
The Broncos forced three turnovers in the game as the defense led the way on a night when the offense didn’t generate much momentum. All 12 points came on field goals.
Underwood Overcomes Struggles To Help Michigan Take Down Western Michigan
Underwood, Michigan’s star quarterback, had plenty of ups and downs throughout his 2026 debut. The sophomore from Detroit guided a 75-yard drive to open the game. He capped the drive with a rushing touchdown, but after that he had issues hitting his targets. The passing miscues nearly led to multiple turnovers for the Wolverines.
He was intercepted at one point early in the night and had a fumble late in the game. The last-second heave to win the game certainly will give him a positive note to build on as the Wolverines move into their next game. The win also helped Kyle Whittingham avoid a historic upset in his first game as head coach.
The longtime Utah coach made the move to Ann Arbor in the offseason with plenty of Wolverines fans excited about his brand of football coming to the Big Ten.
Michigan will now be able to build off a win instead of a loss, but there will be plenty of attention on the late decision by the officials. The Big Ten Conference released a statement on the final sequence late Saturday night. The league supported what the officials saw on their replay and deemed it to be the correct call.
