Michigan football stuns WMU with miracle Hail Mary after game seemed over

Michigan football avoided a shocking upset at Michigan Stadium in the most unlikely of ways, connecting on a Hail Mary as time expired, giving Kyle Whittingham and the No. 16 Wolverines a 13-12 victory over Western Michigan, in his first game as U-M coach on Saturday, Sept. 5.

The final play avoided just Michigan’s second loss ever to a Mid-American Conference program, and the first since Toledo beat Rich Rodriguez’s Wolverines, 13-10, at Michigan Stadium on Oct. 11, 2008.

The game appeared over when a Hail Mary attempt from the logo at midfield fell incomplete as time expired. But a replay review placed 1 second back on the clock, giving Michigan new life. And QB Bryce Underwood connected with receiver JJ Buchanon, himself a transfer from Utah, for the winning score.

After scoring on its first drive, Michigan was plagued by mistakes, misplays and penalties throughout the rest of the night, as an offense that had promised to allow Underwood to shine instead found itself bogged down by a determined WMU defense Saturday.

Still, U-M’s defense seemed mostly up to the task for most of the first half.

But the Broncos grinded out a 9-7 lead – on field goals of 52, 45 and 39 yards by Dieter Kelly, a junior college transfer – with 10:25 remaining on Saturday. WMU’s go-ahead score came on a 20-play drive that consumed 71 yards over 13 minutes and 40 seconds in the third and fourth quarters.

Michigan (1-0) was unable to answer before its final drive, as Underwood rushed passes and true freshman running back Savion Hiter was stood up over and over again behind an offensive line that clearly had yet to jell. Michigan's best drive of the second half, fueled by Underwood scrambles, was scuttled with 1:54 remaining when, Underwood at the end of a 13-yard run, had the ball punched out for a fumble.

[ Make "Hail Yes!" your go-to weekly Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) or watch live on YouTube. ]   

First (quarter) impressions

Any question of how new offensive coordinator Jason Beck wanted to make use of Underwood was answered in the first drive. Making a series of short throws – other than a 20-year completion to JJ Buchanon (who made an athletic catch on a high ball)) off a bad snap – the sophomore went 5-for-5 passing for 61 yards. As Michigan neared the end zone, Beck began to call RPOs, resulting in a bootleg run by Underwood in which he was ruled down inside the 1. On the next play, Underwood leapt over the line for the score and a 7-0 lead to cap a drive that also featured 23 yards on the ground from Underwood and Jordan Marshall.

WHAT HAPPENED? Michigan football vs Western Michigan highlights

Second downer

As good as the Wolverines looked on their first drive, they appeared completely lost the rest of the first half. Start with Underwood, who went 3-for-8 for 9 yards with an interception and a sack (on third-and-7 late in the quarter). The running game, meanwhile, sputtered, virtually removing the threat of RPO or playaction calls. Perhaps Michigan’s best moments after its first drive came from the officials: An interception late in the first quarter was overturned when a replay showed a DB touching the ball while stepping on the sidelines.

Then, in the final seconds of the second quarter, Underwood’s pick was returned 30 yards to the end zone by Dillon Moore, only for the refs to rule he’d stepped out at the 26. Still, that was close enough for the Broncos to pick up a 44-year field goal and make it a one-point game at the half.

Michigan football schedule: Oklahoma up next

Week 2 brings a rematch with No. 9 Oklahoma (1-0), which rolled over Michigan last season in Norman, Oklahoma. This game, however, will be in Ann Arbor – just the third visit to Michigan State from an SEC team this century – next Saturday (noon, Fox).

The Sooners spent their Friday night in Week 1 showed why quarterback John Mateer – in his second season in Norman after transferring from Washington State – is a sleeper Heisman Trophy candidate. Mateer completed 11 of 17 passes for 225 yards and three TDs in limited action in a 51-0 victory over UTEP (Michigan’s Week 3 opponent).

• Week 2: vs Oklahoma, Saturday, Sept. 12 (Noon ET, Fox).
• Week 3: vs UTEP, Saturday, Sept. 19 (3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network).
• Week 4: vs Iowa, Saturday, Sept. 26 (time and TV TBA).
• Week 5: at Minnesota, Saturday, Oct. 3 (time and TV TBA).
• Week 6: Bye week.
• Week 7: vs Penn State, Saturday, Oct. 17 (time and TV TBA).
• Week 8: vs Indiana, Saturday, Oct. 24 (time and TV TBA).
• Week 9: at Rutgers, Saturday, Oct. 31 (time and TV TBA).
• Week 10: vs Michigan State, Saturday, Nov. 7 (time and TV TBA).
• Week 11: at Oregon, Saturday, Nov. 14 (time and TV TBA).
• Week 12: vs UCLA, Saturday, Nov. 21 (time and TV TBA).
• Week 13: at Ohio State, Saturday, Nov. 28 (Noon ET, Fox).

Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

This breaking news story will be updated.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football stuns WMU with miracle Hail Mary after game seemed over