ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Michigan spent most of Saturday night looking like it was headed for a mess. Then Bryce Underwood turned one snap into a rescue act.
With time nearly gone, Underwood launched a 47-yard Hail Mary to JJ Buchanan, and No. 16 Michigan escaped Western Michigan 13-12 in Kyle Whittingham’s first game as coach. The finish sent fans pouring out of the stands and into an unexpected celebration inside Michigan Stadium.
The wild ending almost never happened. Underwood’s first Hail Mary was ruled to have sailed out of the end zone before the clock expired, and Western Michigan players rushed the field in celebration. Officials then put 1 second back on the clock, sending the Broncos back to the sideline and giving Michigan one more shot.
That last chance saved the Wolverines from a disastrous opener. Michigan scored on its first drive, then went silent until Buchanan hauled in Underwood’s pass in a crowd of defenders in the end zone.
Western Michigan came in as a nearly four-touchdown underdog, but for much of the night it looked like the Broncos might deliver just the second loss ever by Michigan to a Mid-American Conference team.
Underwood’s night was rough long before the final throw. The offseason talk about his growth, sharper mechanics and better consistency never showed up on the field. In fact, he looked less settled than he did as a freshman starter last season.
His interception late in the first half was especially costly. With Michigan at its own 80-yard line and 10 seconds left, and having done nothing offensively since the opening drive, Underwood tried an out route to the sideline that was picked off and nearly taken back for a touchdown. Western Michigan then added a field goal at the buzzer, and those three points mattered when the Broncos later grabbed a 9-7 lead in the fourth quarter.
Underwood’s best moment before the game-winner may have been the one he almost ruined. On Michigan’s opening drive, he recovered a fumbled snap and still managed to get the ball to Buchanan, who made a one-handed catch on a high throw.
Michigan had other issues, too, but the quarterback play was impossible to miss. “Michigan simply can’t win in the Big Ten without better quarterback play.”
Jason Beck’s debut as offensive coordinator also fell flat. Beck arrived with a reputation for turning offenses around, but Michigan’s attack looked nothing like the rushing machines he coordinated at Utah and New Mexico, both of which finished No. 2 in the FBS in rushing.
The Wolverines did have the look of a team built to run the ball. They just didn’t do it well enough. Michigan finished with 106 rushing yards on 25 carries, a 4.2-yard average, and the line never really moved Western Michigan’s front.
Jordan Marshall was held to 44 yards on 11 carries, and five-star freshman Savion Hiter never became a factor. Outside of the opening touchdown drive and the final heave, Michigan’s offense sputtered badly.
Even in a season when the offense had its own limitations, the Wolverines at least knew they could lean on the run. That wasn’t true Saturday.
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Big Ten Felt Forced To Address Michigan Ending Everyone Noticed
The late-game ending in Michigans win over Western Michigan drew enough attention that the Big Ten felt compelled to explain it. Replay officials added one second back to the clock after determining a Western Michigan player who had stepped out of bounds touched the ball with time still left, a ruling that changed the final sequence and left plenty of people looking for answers after the whistle.
To its credit, the conference did not leave the decision hanging. It released a statement and video footage from the replay officials discussion, laying out the reasoning behind the clock adjustment and showing how the call was reached. In a game that already had the feel of a routine nonconference result, the ending became the kind of small but notable detail that can linger long after the score is final. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Fans Have Every Right To Worry About This Offense
Michigans defense did its part against Western Michigan, holding the Broncos to 95 total yards and forcing a turnover on downs, but the first-half conversation still belonged to an offense that never settled in after the opening drive. After that early touchdown march, the Wolverines managed only 41 yards before halftime, a stretch that featured shaky pass protection, limited push in the run game and an attack that kept leaving too much for the quarterback to sort out on his own.
Bryce Underwood showed some early rhythm by completing a handful of throws, but the pressure around him grew as the half went on and the mistakes followed, including an interception. For a Michigan team that expected cleaner execution and more balance, the concerns are obvious because the defense may be good enough to keep games manageable, but it cannot keep bailing out an offense that is still searching for consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Offense Has A Real Problem Fans Cant Ignore
Michigan opened with exactly the kind of sequence that can lull a crowd into thinking the offense has found its footing, as Bryce Underwood helped engineer a touchdown on the first drive. From there, though, the early momentum faded fast. The passing game never fully settled in, and the run game had a hard time getting going, leaving the Wolverines to grind through a first half that looked a lot less comfortable than the opening possession suggested.
The numbers told the story of the frustration, with Michigan managing just 46 rushing yards and averaging only 2.5 yards per carry before halftime. Underwood showed flashes, but the mistakes came too, including errant throws that turned into interceptions and helped leave Michigan clinging to a 7-6 lead at the break. For a team that wants to lean on balance and control, the offense already had a problem it could not hide. [Read more 🡒]