Michigan · Big TenMichigan escapes Western Michigan after disputed clock ruling
Officials restored one second after the broadcast clock showed 0:00, setting up Bryce Underwood’s 47-yard Hail Mary to JJ Buchanan.
SEP 6, 2026
The Pate State · Editorial IllustrationTime officials restored for the winning play
Length of Buchanan's winning Hail Mary
Michigan record after the escape
01 · The NewsMichigan Escapes on Second Chance
No. 16 Michigan escaped Western Michigan 13–12 Saturday, Sept. 5, when officials restored one second after replay review and Bryce Underwood used the extra play to hit JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard Hail Mary — after the broadcast clock had shown 0:00.
Underwood’s first Hail Mary had sailed through the back of the end zone. The ruling forced Western Michigan to defend the final play twice, and Buchanan caught the winning pass on Michigan’s second chance. The Broncos fell to 0–1 after appearing to have secured one of the biggest wins in program history.
Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham said he thought time remained when the first pass ended.
“As I watched the first Hail Mary and the ball sailed out of the back of the end zone, I glanced at the clock, and I was pretty sure there was one second left,” Whittingham said Saturday. “That, obviously, is not up to me. The refs went to replay, and they confirmed it and gave us one more opportunity.”
The Big Ten said Western Michigan defender Micah Davis began his jump from an established out-of-bounds position and touched the ball with one second remaining. Replay officials used a side-by-side view of the play and a direct feed from the stadium game clock, the conference said. It also said all replay-system cameras had been synchronized by strobe 85 minutes before kickoff.
02 · The StakesWhat This Changes
The decision spared Michigan a damaging opening loss under Whittingham and preserved a 1–0 record for a team ranked No. 16 in both the AP Top 25 and AFCA Coaches poll. The Wolverines entered the season after a 9–4 record in 2025 and now carry the narrow escape into their game against Oklahoma on Sept. 12. Western Michigan entered Saturday after a 10–4 season and came within one defensive stand of the upset. Coach Lance Taylor said the Broncos handled the first throw but could not do it again. “I know when I looked up at the clock, it was past zeroes before we touched it,” Taylor said Saturday. “I knew that they would review it. It’s the last play of the game. And because we defended it so well, I wasn’t worried or concerned about our guys going out and defending it a second time. Unfortunately, we did not defend it as well the second time.”
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
The dispute is not only whether Davis touched the ball before time expired. It is also about which timing evidence replay officials trusted when they put the second back.
NBC rules analyst Terry McAulay said the broadcast and stadium clocks were synchronized, while the television replay appeared to show the ball still in flight when the clock reached zero.
“The ball isn't even close to touching a player when it goes to zero. Their system, their hawkeye system, apparently either had a different sync or whatever, and they came up with one second when it touched a player. I don't see that happen. Assuming our clock is correct, it is clearly not touching a player. The ball is clearly still in the air when the clock goes to zero on our screen. The Big Ten is going to have to tell a lot of us how did they get to one second on this play,” McAulay said on the NBC broadcast.
The Big Ten described the side-by-side review but did not identify the specific image that established contact with one second left. It also has not announced whether it or the MAC will conduct another review or take action involving the officiating crew.
“I know when I looked up at the clock, it was past zeroes before we touched it.”
Lance Taylor04 · The ThesisThe Pate State Read
Michigan got the win because Buchanan and Underwood converted the extra final play. Western Michigan is left with a 0–1 record and a question about whether the ending can be reviewed. Taylor said MAC leadership had reached out for clarification. Western Michigan president Russ Kavalhuna said the school would pursue whatever review might be available through official channels. “We'll talk to our commissioner and we'll try to see if there's anything that we can ask for a review on. Frankly, I don't know if we can. I just want everyone to know that this football team deserves a second look, if that's possible,” Kavalhuna said.
05 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Does the clock ruling get another review?
Western Michigan president Russ Kavalhuna said the school would pursue whatever review might be available through official channels, while the Big Ten has not announced whether it or the MAC will conduct another review.
Can Michigan carry the escape forward?
The Wolverines preserved a 1–0 record and now carry the narrow escape into their game against Oklahoma on Sept. 12.
Can Western Michigan defend the second chance?
The Broncos handled the first throw but could not do it again; Lance Taylor said they did not defend the second play as well.