No. 16 Michigan escapes an ‘epic loss’ thanks to a disputed replay and a second-chance Hail Mary

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Bryce Underwood watched his pass sail out of bounds, and he thought he knew what that meant for No. 16 Michigan.

“I definitely thought the game was over because there were zeroes on the clock,” he said.

So did Western Michigan. So did a lot of people watching.

Given a second chance by a disputed replay decision, Underwood and the Wolverines took advantage. JJ Buchanan pulled in Underwood’s 47-yard, second-chance miracle heave for a game-ending, game-winning touchdown, and Michigan escaped with a 13-12 win over the Broncos on Saturday night in coach Kyle Whittingham’s debut.

On what seemed to be the final play of the game, Underwood chucked a Hail Mary pass that sailed beyond the end zone and into the arms of a Broncos defender. TV replays appeared to show the clock hitting zero with the ball still in the air, but officials ruled there was a second still to play.

The Big Ten stood by the review in a statement released two hours after the game, when it also published a recording of the replay as it was reviewed by the officials that showed the game clock at 1 second when the ball was…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/sports