Michigan Avoids Massive Upset With Controversial Last-Second Hail Mary Win Over Western Michigan

Controversial Final Second Extends Michigan’s Season Opener

Entering the contest as 27.5-point favorites according to the primary source material—and 33-point favorites per Daily Mail reporting—the Wolverines found themselves trailing 12-7 with just one second remaining on the clock. Underwood took the snap at midfield, rolled left, backpedaled, and heaved the ball downfield. His first Hail Mary attempt sailed out of bounds as the clock hit zero, prompting Western Michigan players to rush the field in celebration of an apparent victory.

However, officials stopped the celebration to review the play on television replays. According to a statement issued by the Big Ten Conference and cited in the primary text, video review determined that a Western Michigan defender—designated as No. 18—started his jump from an established out-of-bounds position with his left foot and made contact with the ball while one second remained. Mid-American Conference (MAC) commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher confirmed that the Big Ten explained that the contact by an out-of-bounds player before 0:00 warranted placing one additional second back on the game clock.

The extra second was huge, Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham said in his postgame news conference, as reported by the primary source. As I watched the first Hail Mary and the ball sailed out of the back of the end zone, as I glanced at the clock, I was pretty sure there was one second left. But that obviously is not up to me.

With that single extra second restored, Underwood executed a second Hail Mary. This time, Buchanan secured the catch amid a scrum of defenders in the end zone to secure the 13-12 win. Whittingham noted in his postgame remarks, This game will go down in Michigan history. I don’t know if it’s in a positive way, but it will go down in history for certain.

Western Michigan’s Upset Bid and Game Statistics

The contest nearly mirrored Michigan’s infamous 2007 season-opening loss to Appalachian State. Lance Taylor’s Western Michigan squad frustrated the Wolverines all evening by forcing three turnovers and kicking four field goals. Underwood opened the game strongly by orchestrating an 11-play, 75-yard drive on the first possession, capped by his own 1-yard touchdown run.

Daily Mail reporting highlights that Underwood also threw an interception in the first half, nearly suffered two more picks, and lost a costly fumble at his own 31-yard line with 1:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. Capitalizing on the mistake, Western Michigan took its first lead of the night early in the final quarter when junior-college transfer Dieter Kelly—from the College of San Mateo, per Daily Mail records—scored his fourth field goal of the night from 39 yards out. That kick finished a grueling 20-play drive that consumed 13:40 of game clock and left just 35 seconds remaining before Underwood’s heroics.

There was not hooting and hollering in the locker room because we have a lot of work to do, Whittingham stated after his debut victory as Michigan’s head coach, according to the Daily Mail.

Historical Context and Upcoming Schedule

The narrow victory preserves an unblemished all-time record for Michigan against opponents from the Mid-American Conference, though it pushed the program to the brink of disaster. Western Michigan, which has competed in major college football since 1962 within the MAC, remains in search of its first-ever victory against an opponent ranked in the top 20 of the Associated Press poll, according to Daily Mail data.

Both programs move forward with significant adjustments required following the dramatic opening week. While the Wolverines return to Ann Arbor to address three turnovers and defensive lapses identified by their new coaching staff, Western Michigan looks to carry the momentum of a dominant defensive performance into its upcoming conference slate.