Clock controversy hangs over Michigan’s last-second Hail Mary in season opening win

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Given an unlikely second chance at a game-ending Hail Mary, Bryce Underwood connected with JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard touchdown pass that lifted No. 16 Michigan over Western Michigan 13-12 on Saturday night.

The Wolverines were 27 1/2-point favorites in coach Kyle Whittingham’s debut . The Broncos and their stingy defense thought they’d secured a historic upset when Underwood’s first Hail Mary sailed out of bounds with the clock expired.

WMU players were already on the field celebrating when officials called for a review. TV replays showed the clock hitting zero before the ball hit the hands of a Western Michigan defender, but officials ruled there was a second left.

Underwood heaved another throw, and Buchanan leaped to snag it and came down with it in the end zone.

“One for the history books right here,” Whittingham said.

Western Michigan kicked four field goals and forced three turnovers, including a late fumble by Underwood.

The Broncos went ahead for the first time early in the fourth quarter on Dieter Kelly’s 39-yard field goal that capped a 20-play drive that took 13:40 off the clock.

Western Michigan was threatening to hand Michigan perhaps its biggest upset since an infamous, season-opening loss to Appalachian State in 2007, when the Wolverines were 33-point favorites.

Underwood lost a fumble at his 31 with 1:50 left after throwing an interception in the first half and nearly getting picked off two more times.

Kelly, a junior-college transfer from College of San Mateo, made his fourth field goal with 35 seconds left to force the Wolverines to score a touchdown to win — and they did in dramatic fashion.

Western Michigan, which has played major college football since 1962 in the Mid-American Conference, has never beaten an opponent in the top 20 of the Associated Press poll.

Western Michigan: The defending MAC champions were able to retain key players, keeping them out of the transfer portal, and will be contenders to repeat.

Michigan: Underwood started strong with a touchdown drive and finished it well, but made a lot of mistakes in between. “We have a lot of work to do,” Whittingham said.

Western Michigan hosts Monmouth on Saturday.

Michigan hosts No. 10 Oklahoma on Saturday.

格雷戈里·沙姆斯/盖蒂图片社

布莱斯·安德伍德获得了一次不太可能的第二次机会，他用一记47码的达阵传球帮助排名第16位的密歇根大学在周六晚上以13-12战胜了西密歇根大学。

在主教练凯尔·惠廷厄姆的首秀中，密歇根狼獾队被视为27.5分的夺冠热门。野马队凭借其严密的防守，一度以为他们已经锁定了一场历史性的冷门，因为安德伍德的第一次孤注一掷的传球在比赛时间结束时飞出了界外。

当裁判要求回放时，西密歇根大学的球员们已经在场上庆祝了。电视回放显示，在球落到西密歇根大学防守队员手中之前，计时器已经归零，但裁判判定还有一秒时间。

安德伍德又一次掷球，布坎南跳起来接住了球，并在端区内将球接住。

“这绝对会载入史册，”惠廷厄姆说道。

西密歇根大学踢进四记任意球，并迫使对手出现三次失误，其中包括安德伍德在比赛末段的一次掉球。

第四节初，野马队凭借迪特·凯利的39码任意球首次取得领先，这次任意球结束了20次进攻，耗时13分40秒。

西密歇根大学有可能给密歇根大学带来自 2007 年赛季揭幕战惨败给阿巴拉契亚州立大学以来最大的冷门，当时密歇根大学被看好能赢 33 分。

比赛还剩 1 分 50 秒时，安德伍德在己方 31 码线附近掉球，此前他在上半场被拦截了一次，并且还有两次险些被拦截。

凯利是圣马特奥学院的一名专科转学生，他在比赛还剩 35 秒时踢进了他的第四个任意球，迫使狼獾队必须达阵才能获胜——而他们也以戏剧性的方式做到了。

西密歇根大学自 1962 年以来一直在中西部联盟参加大学橄榄球比赛，但从未击败过美联社民意调查排名前 20 的对手。

西密歇根大学：卫冕 MAC 冠军的球队成功留住了关键球员，避免了他们转会，并将成为卫冕冠军的有力竞争者。

密歇根大学：安德伍德开局强势，一次达阵进攻，最后阶段也表现出色，但期间失误频频。“我们还有很多工作要做，”惠廷厄姆说道。

西密歇根大学将于周六主场迎战蒙茅斯大学。

密歇根大学将于周六主场迎战排名第十的俄克拉荷马大学。