Michigan football stuns Western Michigan on second Hail Mary attempt
Michigan football stuns Western Michigan on second Hail Mary attempt in Week 1 in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026 at Michigan Stadium.
This story has been updated to include new information.
It’s pretty simple. See the clock hit triple zeros, look at your screen.
Or see the clock hit triple zeros, and press pause on your phone. Or TV. Or laptop.
I’m pretty sure we all just witnessed Big Ten officials swing a game for a conference team.
Michigan lost to Western Michigan. The game was over. Big Ten officials then decided to add one second to the game clock.
Michigan then used the second, threw a successful Hail Mary and prevented mass depression in Ann Arbor.
Without that gift to set up a 47-yard touchdown pass on the final play of Michigan’s 13-12 win over Western Michigan, the Wolverines lose in Kyle Whittingham’s first game as coach and Bryce Underwood is the most overpaid player in the brief and inglorious history of NIL.
The Big Ten tried to explain its decision early Sunday morning, saying Western Michigan’s Micah Davis made contact with the ball with one second remaining after jumping from out-of-bounds. It even showed video of the discussion from the replay booth.
But that doesn’t bury this controversy.
We all watched the clock hit triple zeros on the broadcast, which is synced with the replay system 85 minutes before kickoff, the Big Ten said in its statement. Even Terry McAulay, NBC’s rules analyst for the game, was dumbfounded.
“I don’t see how that happened, assuming our clock is correct,” McAulay said on the broadcast. “The ball is clearly still in the air when the clock goes to zero.”
It’s too easy to assume the conference that has won the past three national titles, that has cruised by the SEC in the my-conference-is better-than-yours argument, wouldn’t try to save one of its darlings from losing at home to a team from the Mid-American Conference.
A Michigan team that scored on its first drive, then didn’t do squat until the last play of the game.
A Michigan quarterback (Underwood) who was paid millions to sign with the Wolverines prior to last season, and isn’t the best at his position on the roster. Freshman Tommy Carr, Notre Dame star quarterback CJ Carr’s younger brother, will be Michigan’s quarterback before the calendar hits October.
As sure as Western Michigan was robbed, Tommy Carr will take snaps in next week’s Oklahoma game. If you think the WMU defense confused Underwood, wait until OU coach Brent Venables — arguably the game’s best defensive mind — shows Underwood what he’s got.
The only question is how long Whittingham stays with Underwood, who was underwhelming as a freshman and — if it’s possible — looks worse as a sophomore. With or without the Big Ten’s help.
The play before the Big Ten stepped in, Underwood scrambled and threw what should’ve been the game’s last play. It was another Hail Mary.
And he threw it out of the end zone.
When the game should’ve ended. Before the Big Ten stepped in.
Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. Listen to him daily, from 12-2 p.m., on 1010XL-Jacksonville.It’s time to believe it.