Hysteria absolutely exploded into disbelief across Michigan Stadium Saturday night when a last-ditch Hail Mary saved head coach Kyle Whittingham from an unthinkable upset in his debut. Every camera in the building, just like they had all evening, quickly latched onto quarterback Bryce Underwood. Hours earlier, during a totally ebullient pregame scene in Ann Arbor, the broadcast showed an emotional Underwood roaring out of the tunnel and into a pregame huddle, delivering a fiery speech for his teammates. They even caught him racing for a final prayer before kickoff, pointing to the heavens. The countdown to Michigan’s opener against Western Michigan was all Underwood, all the time. And guess what? That’s exactly how the game ended, too.
The “Blessing” That Barely Was
A 47-yard huck-and-prayer touchdown from Underwood to wide receiver JJ Buchanan on the final play of the game staved off an upset that would have flat-out derailed Michigan’s season before it even began. This ridiculous moment was only made possible by a super confusing and controversial review where one mysterious second was re-added to the game clock. Seriously, one second! Instead, the Wolverines were granted an improbable new lease on life with an air of defiance stretching across Underwood’s face as fans poured onto the field. “A blessing,” Underwood said in the postgame presser. “That’s the only way I could put it, honestly. Just another opportunity for us to believe in our guys and make a play.” Yeah, a blessing, or a miracle of officiating. Take your pick!
So Many Questions After The Escape
Even though Michigan somehow escaped with an unlikely 13-12 victory over the Broncos, there are so many lingering questions before their massive showdown with No. 10 Oklahoma in Ann Arbor this Saturday. How, exactly? How could a team coached by Whittingham, a guy whose discipline and leadership have been lauded for decades, put out a performance absolutely pockmarked by so many self-inflicted wounds? How could Underwood, who spent the offseason training with well-respected private quarterbacks coach Jordan Palmer, show all the same inconsistencies in technique and decision-making that crushed his uneven freshman campaign? And finally, how could an offense led by the vaunted offensive coordinator Jason Beck, whose Utah squad finished fourth in the country for yards per game in 2025, get totally outperformed by Western Michigan on the ground (132 yards to 106), on third down (eight conversions to three), and in the turnover battle (a brutal minus-3 for Michigan)? Nothing about the first 59 minutes and 59 seconds of Saturday’s game should have given the Wolverines any hope, let alone belief, as Underwood lined up for that final pass.
Time To Fix Some Stuff, Fast
Michigan edge rusher Dom Nichols put it perfectly, saying, “Sick to my stomach is the way I would explain the feeling of that game. It should have never came down to that. Obviously, I’m glad we came out 1-0, but we’ve got some stuff to fix.” He’s not wrong. It’s a far cry from how the Wolverines were feeling about themselves before kickoff. Now, they’ve got to clean up this messy win because a real test is coming fast. Michigan faces No. 10 Oklahoma in Ann Arbor on Saturday (noon ET, FOX). That’s a whole different beast than Western Michigan, and if they play like they did last night, that “blessing” is going to feel like a distant memory.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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