Kyle Whittingham’s anticipated debut in Michigan’s season opener turned out to be far more disappointing than expected. The Wolverines managed to escape with a last-second victory, but their unconvincing performance has already sparked criticism. Former Michigan coach Connor Stalions has also weighed in now.
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“Two things can be true at the same time,” Connor Stalions said on X on September 5. “The final second seemed fishy on live TV, but the clock on TV was definitely not at 9.00 seconds prior to the 2nd-to-last play. The offense has a ton of work to do, but the defense isn’t off the hook. The defense was great in the red zone but wasn’t as good overall as the score indicated. They struggled to get off the field a ton.”
After time appeared to have expired following a failed Hail Mary, a second was added to the clock, allowing sophomore star QB Bryce Underwood to throw a 47-yard touchdown. While it ensured a win, it certainly wasn’t something to be proud of, per Stalions.
“Overall it was an embarrassing game, but WMU is a probable G6 playoff contender,” Stalions further stated on X. “They returned damn near the whole roster from a MAC Championship team. You have every right to be nervous about Oklahoma, but points don’t roll over to next week. Well-coached teams often improve the most from Week 1 to Week 2. We’ll see in 6 days.”
Stalions himself worked as an off-field analytics analyst since around 2022, and he was linked to certain sign-stealing allegations. Once those allegations became public, the ousted coach resigned from Michigan in October 2023
After executing a crisp, 75-yard opening drive that ended in a Bryce Underwood rushing touchdown, the Wolverines’ offense went entirely cold. While further progress was expected, Ann Arbor’s next four possessions only brought about a combined total of just 26 yards, needing a punt at the end of each drive.
Michigan narrowly escaped a historic upset by defeating Western Michigan 13-12 on Saturday, September 5. Despite entering the game as a 27.5-point favorite, the Wolverines put together a highly erratic performance. Michigan’s offense looked sluggish for most of the night. They turned the ball over three times and committed nine penalties for 80 yards.
The passing game struggled to stretch the field, prompting heavy media criticism from figures like Colin Cowherd. He noted that the system lacked creativity and looked like “outdated offensive football”.
Quarterback Bryce Underwood, despite throwing the game-winning pass, also had an erratic night marked by costly mistakes.
With just nine seconds left in the second quarter and the ball on their own 27-yard line, the coaching staff opted to pass rather than kneel. Underwood was intercepted by Western Michigan linebacker Dillon Moore, setting up a 45-yard Broncos field goal as the half expired.
Trailing 12-7 with under two minutes remaining, Underwood scrambled and fumbled the ball away at his own 31-yard line. He nearly cemented a Western Michigan victory before the defense forced a quick stop.
With the clock winding down to zero, Underwood threw a desperation Hail Mary out of the end zone, which fell incomplete. Western Michigan players and staff immediately rushed the field to celebrate an apparent monumental upset.
However, the replay booth intervened. After a lengthy review, officials determined that Western Michigan safety Micah Davis touched the ball while standing established out of bounds with one second left on the stadium clock.
The frantic finish forced the Big Ten Conference into immediate damage control to address accusations. Some fans started commenting that the league “rigged” the final second to prevent Whittingham’s debut from becoming an embarrassment.
The Big Ten Conference issued an official statement defending the officiating crew’s decision to restore one second to the game clock. It allowed No. 16 Michigan to score a walk-off 13-12 victory over Western Michigan.
The conference directly cited NCAA Football Rule 4-2-3-a. It provided a technical explanation of how they verified the remaining time using synchronized replay feeds.
“Following video review, it was determined Western Michigan’s #18 [safety Micah Davis] started his jump from an established out-of-bounds position (left foot) and made contact with the ball with one second remaining on the clock,” Big Ten’s released statement read.
Under NCAA guidelines, when a ball that is not in player control touches anything or anyone already established out of bounds. The ball is instantly dead, and the clock must be stopped.
While their season opener is now in the past, all eyes will be on their upcoming game against Oklahoma at noon on September 12. All said and done, Underwood still did come out with a rushing and a passing touchdown. Could Ann Arbor bounce back and deliver a convincing win?