Clock controversy allows Michigan Wolverines to avoid massive upset against Western Michigan

We just passed the 19th anniversary of shocking upset loss to Appalachian State that opened their 2007 season. Well, we came about as close as you can to another major Michigan upset to kick off this year.

A Hail Mary and a clock controversy superseded the close game between the Wolverines and the Western Michigan Broncos.

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Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood had one more desperation heave in him. His pass sailed out of the back of the end zone, leading to the Broncos' celebration. However, the jubilation was premature. Officials determined there was one second remaining on the clock when the ball was thrown.

It allowed Michigan one more play. This time, Underwood connected with J.J. Buchanan for the game-winning score. The Wolverines came out with the 13-12 victory.

But how there was one second left after Underwood's initial throw became all that anyone would talk about. Officials called for a review. TV replays showed the clock hitting zero before the ball hit the hands of the Western Michigan defender.

Still, officials ruled there was a second left in the game.

The Big Ten Conference stood by the decision.

"It was determined Western Michigan No. 18 started his jump from an established out-of-bounds position (left foot) and made contact with the ball with one second remaining on the clock," the conference said, citing a rule that stops the clock on such contact.

Michgan came out unscathed.

As is often the case in these Week 1 matchups, Michigan came into this one as an overwhelming 27.5-point favorite.

Oddsmakers were also looking at a fairly high-scoring game with the o/u set at 49.5.

However, this turned into a low-scoring, defensive battle, with Michigan opening the scoring when QB Bryce Underwood punched it into the end zone from the 1-yard line.

A few minutes later, the Broncos answered with a field goal, then tacked on another before halftime, and that was the end of the scoring in the first half.

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The teams went to the locker room with Michigan up just 7-6.

That was a stunner, but surely Michigan would come out firing and put the 2025 MAC champions away.

Nope.

The next time either team would score wasn't until the fourth quarter, when Western Michigan kicked their third field goal of the game to go up 9-7.

Both teams failed to score on their next drives, but with Michigan looking like they were on the verge of at least marching downfield for a late game-winning field goal, the Broncos pulled off a stunner.

Western Michigan's Joshua Franklin managed to punch the ball out of Underwood's grasp as he fell to the turf, with the Broncos pouncing on top of it.

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Despite a scare due to a fumble of their own, the Broncos hung on to the ball and added another field goal to go up 12-7.

On the ensuing drive, Underwood connected with receiver Channing Goodwin around midfield, and with no timeouts, the Wolverines scrambled to the line of scrimmage to spike the ball with just nine seconds on the clock.

On the final play of the game, Underwood found space and gave his receivers time to get downfield before heaving a bomb that en