$250M Michigan Donor Mounts Call for 'Apologies' as WMU Accepts Fate Against Kyle Whittingham

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On September 5, the college football world’s attention shifted from the marquee matchup between LSU and Clemson as Western Michigan was poised to pull off a historic upset in Ann Arbor. Michigan won the game with a Hail Mary touchdown, but the ending wasn’t without drama.

The extra second on the clock became the focal point, as fans demanded answers from the Big Ten. The conference released a clarification of what happened, which the Mid-American Conference has now accepted. Dave Portnoy, the $250 million Michigan donor, now wants an apology from everyone who accused Kyle Whittingham and his team of wrongdoing.

“Lots of people could learn a thing or two from the @MACSports about winning and losing with grace and class,” Portnoy wrote on X. “Let the apologies to Michigan fans be as loud as the accusations!”

The controversy started late, with Michigan trailing 12-7. Bryce Underwood threw a Hail Mary toward the back of the end zone. Western Michigan safety Micah Davis, a former Michigan player, knocked the ball down. The NBC clock showed 0:00. Broncos players rushed the field.

Kyle Whittingham's debut at Michigan will be remembered for that controversial final second. Subscribe for more interesting stories.

Officials waved them off, reviewed the play, and ruled Davis touched the ball while out of bounds with one second left. Underwood then hit JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard touchdown, and Michigan won 13-12.

Saturday was Whittingham’s first game in Ann Arbor. Because it was a debut, the finish became part of the conversation around his new era.

The extra second was questioned right away because of what people saw live. NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay said the ball was “not even close to touching a player when [the clock] goes to zero.” Western Michigan coach Lance Taylor said that when he looked up, the clock was already past zero before his player touched the ball. Those comments led to claims that Michigan had been handed the win.

The entire scenario changed after the Big Ten released synced stadium-clock video. The conference said Davis started his jump from an established out-of-bounds position, with his left foot already out. It said he made contact with one second still on the official stadium clock.

The TV scorebug and the stadium clock were not showing the same thing at that instant, and the official clock is what counts.

The MAC and Western Michigan contacted the Big Ten after the game to request clarification. MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher then issued a statement accepting the explanation. He commended Western Michigan’s effort, congratulated Michigan on the win, and thanked the Big Ten for its prompt review. That is why Portnoy called it grace and class.

The Michigan head coach offered his view of the same ending. Whittingham said the extra second decided the game, but he also said he thought time was still there.

“Obviously, the extra second was huge. As I watched the first Hail Mary end 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,” Whittingham said. “But as the refs went to replay, they confirmed it, and so gave us one more opportunity.”

“And that second time around, Bryce threw a perfect ball, because the first one he sailed out the back, which gives us no chance to catch it. And JJ made a phenomenal catch,” on the winning throw, he added. “It doesn’t surprise me — that’s who he is. I see him make contested catches every day in practice. And the offensive line gave Bryce enough time to launch it.”

The ending looked even stranger because Michigan was a 27.5-point favorite and lost the turnover battle 3-0. Western Michigan controlled long stretches and scored all 12 of its points on field goals. The last-second play covered that up. Whittingham’s first game at Michigan will still be tied to that one second.

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