Michigan needed a miracle heave with just one second left to get a win over Western Michigan.
In what will go down as an absolute stunner in Ann Arbor, Michigan escaped an upset bid by Western Michigan, winning 13-12 on a miraculous 47-yard touchdown pass as time expired.
For nearly 60 minutes, the Broncos controlled the tempo, suffocating the Wolverines' offense and building a 12-7 lead going into the final seconds. Western Michigan dominated the time of possession holding the ball for over 40 minutes compared to Michigan's 19:52. The Broncos also forced three turnovers to keep the heavy favorites completely off balance.
Michigan spent most of the evening hurting themselves with mistakes, tallying nine penalties for 80 yards and giving up two lost fumbles. Their offense struggled to sustain drives, converting on just 3 of 10 third downs. Quarterback Bryce Underwood managed to lead the ground attack alongside Jordan Marshall, rushing for 47 yards and a touchdown on nine carries, but the Wolverines passing game remained dormant for long stretches.
Meanwhile, Western Michigan executed a disciplined game plan. While quarterback Broc Lowry only threw for 89 yards on 15-of-21 passing, he added 35 rushing yards while managing a ground attack led by Jalen Buckley (19 carries, 62 yards). The Broncos relied entirely on kicking field goals to build their lead, knocking through four of them on the day from 33, 39, 45 and 52 yards out.
Trailing 12-7 with just 35 seconds remaining, Michigan took over at their own 25-yard line with no timeouts. Underwood orchestrated a lightning-fast 6-play, 75-yard drive. After a Hail Mary heave went out of the back of the end zone with one second left on the clock, Underwood had a chance to chuck it downfield one more time.
The true sophomore took the shotgun snap at the WMU 47-yard line and launched a desperation pass into a crowded end zone. Fellow sophomore JJ Buchanan leapt above the crowd, snagged the deep ball and fell into the end zone giving Michigan the 13-12 lead with zeroes on the clock. The final snare for Buchanan capped off a 6-catch, 126-yard performance. Buchanan, a Utah transfer, became a Michigan legend his first time out in the winged helmet.
Michigan entered the final moments needing a miracle and got exactly that. Underwood's final throw and Buchanan's catch turned what could have been an embarrassing opening loss into an unforgettable one-point win.
It certainly wasn't pretty, and there will be plenty for Michigan to clean up moving forward. But when the final second ticked away, the Wolverines had escaped with a win and sometimes, especially in college football, that's all that matters.
