ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan football's season opener against Western Michigan was anything but smooth, as the Wolverines faced the possibility of a rare defeat to a Mid-American Conference (MAC) team. However, in a dramatic finish, Michigan managed to pull off a thrilling Hail Mary victory, leaving fans and players alike in disbelief.
As the game approached its conclusion, it seemed that the Wolverines would suffer only their second loss in program history to a MAC opponent, the first being a defeat to Toledo in 2008 during Rich Rodriguez's inaugural season. With time running out, Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood connected with wide receiver JJ Buchanan for a touchdown as the clock hit zero, following a controversial decision to add one second back onto the game clock.
Head coach Kyle Whittingham, in his first postgame press conference as Michigan's leader, expressed his belief that the additional second was justified, although replays suggested otherwise. Despite the contentious ending, Whittingham was relieved to secure the win but acknowledged the team's performance left much to be desired. "Well, yeah, obviously the extra second was huge," he remarked. "As I watched the first Hail Mary end and the ball sailed out of the back of the end zone, I was pretty sure there was one second left, but that obviously is not up to me. But as the refs went to replay, they confirmed it, and so it gave us one more opportunity. And that second time around, Bryce threw a perfect ball, because the first one he sailed it out the back, which gives us no chance to catch it."
Whittingham praised Buchanan's remarkable catch, noting that it was typical of the wide receiver's skills, which he witnesses daily in practice. He also commended the offensive line for providing Underwood with the necessary time to make the throw. Despite the thrilling conclusion, Whittingham emphasized that the game would be remembered in Michigan history, though not necessarily in a positive light.
Reflecting on the team's overall performance, Whittingham identified several areas for improvement. The Wolverines struggled offensively after a strong opening drive, committing three turnovers—two on offense and one on special teams. The defense, while allowing only nine points, spent nearly 41 minutes on the field, which is a significant concern moving forward.
"Things we didn’t do well: we didn’t play the run well on defense, we didn’t run the ball well on offense, we lost the turnover margin three-zip, we didn’t make enough first downs," Whittingham stated. He took full responsibility for the team's shortcomings and acknowledged the need for better preparation. "There was not a lot of hooting and hollering in that locker room; in fact, there was none, because we understand that we’ve got a lot of work to do and we’ve got to be much, much better than we were tonight," he added.
Whittingham also credited Western Michigan for executing a game plan that aimed to control the clock and minimize turnovers, noting that they had zero turnovers themselves. He highlighted that while the Wolverines' defense allowed only 12 first downs, they must generate more takeaways in future games to be successful.
As Michigan prepares for their next matchup against Oklahoma, who recently dominated UTEP, the team must quickly address their deficiencies. Whittingham concluded, "We just stopped executing. We stopped controlling the line of scrimmage. They ran a lot of movement with their defense, and if you want to be successful against movement, you’ve got to hit it. You just can’t. They had too much penetration at times, and we did not do a good job picking up movement in the run game, and that was one of our biggest deficiencies of the night."
With a narrow victory under their belts, the Wolverines have a lot of work ahead to ensure they are ready for the challenges that lie ahead in the season.
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