Michigan was one second away from a Week 1 disaster. Kyle Whittingham’s first game in Ann Arbor was headed for a nightmare finish against Western Michigan. Then, somehow, the Wolverines got another second after a replay review gave them one last shot. Bryce Underwood took it from there, finding JJ Buchanan on a 47-yard Hail Mary as Michigan escaped with a 13-12 win. Urban Meyer didn’t sugarcoat what he saw.
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“I don’t know if I’ve ever witnessed that,” Urban Meyer said on The Triple Option. “I mean, I’ve seen bad calls, but this one, this took a win. They were the better team on the field in Ann Arbor. And certainly in the second half, they were.”
The final scoreboard says Michigan won. But many will argue that Western Michigan won the rest of the night. The Broncos controlled possession for more than 40 minutes and won the turnover battle 3-0. They also ran for 132 yards compared with Michigan’s 106.
Western Michigan had opportunities to bury the game. The Broncos took over three times inside Michigan’s 35-yard line after turnovers. They came away with a turnover on downs and two field goals. One touchdown on any of those drives likely ends the story before Michigan ever gets a chance to throw a Hail Mary.
Michigan’s offense didn’t do much after its opening possession, either. Bryce Underwood completed his first five passes for 61 yards and helped march the Wolverines 75 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive. Then the rhythm vanished. He finished 12-of-22 for 170 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. He also lost a fumble. Several throws could have been picked, and his decision-making became increasingly shaky as the night wore on.
After that opening touchdown, Michigan’s offense stalled. The Wolverines managed just three more first downs, one coming on the final drive. Kyle Whittingham wanted clean football. He got nine penalties for 80 yards and three turnovers instead. Western Michigan looked like the better team for most of the night. Then things got weird.
Western Michigan led 12-7 when Bryce Underwood fumbled with 1:40 left. Michigan eventually got the ball back with 35 seconds remaining and needed a miracle. The first Hail Mary looked like the end. The pass sailed beyond the end zone, the clock showed zero, and the Broncos started celebrating.
Then, refs went to replay. Officials ruled Micah Davis touched the ball while out of bounds with one second left. That stopped the clock and gave Michigan one more play. The Big Ten later backed the call with replay footage.
That’s how Michigan got its extra play. Bryce Underwood threw it up. JJ Buchanan came down with it. Just like that, a disaster became a 13-12 victory. Urban Meyer’s frustration wasn’t really about pretending Western Michigan had been perfect. It was about how close the Broncos were to pulling off something special before that extra second appeared.
The Hail Mary will dominate the highlight reels. But Urban Meyer’s point is that for almost the entire night, Western Michigan looked like the better football team. Michigan just happened to own the final second.