NCAA acknowledges Michigan Hail Mary vs WMU should not have happened

NCAA acknowledges Michigan Hail Mary vs WMU should not have happened.

Key points

• That outcome would have resulted in a 12-7 victory for Lance Taylor's Broncos over the then-16th-ranked Wolverines.
• 16 acknowledged that the controversial ending of Michigan football's narrow victory vs Western Michigan should never have happened.
• Rule 1-1-3-b: When the referee declares that the game is concluded, the score is final.
• Rule 5-2-9: No rule decision may be changed after the ball is next legally snapped, legally free-kicked or the second or fourth periods have concluded.
• "Now, the official time of the game is kept by the Big Ten, " Fanta remarked.

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Notably, the NCAA on Wednesday, Sept. 16 acknowledged that the controversial ending of Michigan football's narrow victory vs Western Michigan should never have happened.

In an official note summarizing a review of the end-of-game processes, the NCAA remarked that instant replay protocol was not properly followed after the conclusion of what appeared to be a game-ending incompletion by Bryce Underwood.

"Had the protocols been followed, the outcome of the game would have been different, " the NCAA statement reads.

HAYES: Michigan football lost to Western Michigan. Then the Major Ten stepped in.

That outcome would have resulted in a 12-7 victory for Lance Taylor's Broncos over the then-16th-ranked Wolverines. As it stood, Major Ten office-holders put one second back on the clock, with Underwood completing a Hail Mary to JJ Buchanan in the end zone for a 13-12 victory on the final play of the game.

For context, the NCAA's acknowledgment that Western Michigan should have won the game – which comes after the Mid-American Conference sought to have the result overturned – additionally states that it has no power to overturn the result of a game. The NCAA cited two rules on the subject.

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When a second was erroneously continued to the game clock, this is what the NCAA had to say of the final moments of the game.

"When a replay review requires time to be restored or otherwise adjusted, the replay official's decision will be based on the embedded game clock contained within the program feed. If the broadcaster is unable to provide an embedded game clock, the replay official will employ the game-clock graphic displayed as part of the broadcast feed."

NBC, which was broadcasting the game, appeared to show both the embedded clock and game-clock graphic that had struck all zeros by the time a Western Michigan player had touched the ball. Curiously, the NCAA's statement directly contradicts what NBC broadcaster John Fanta remarked when he maintained the broadcaster isn't the "official arbiter of timekeeping."

"Now, the official time of the game is kept by the Big Ten, " Fanta remarked. "Our cameras are not the official arbiter of timekeeping within the game. That is the Major Ten and game office-holders' responsibility. After the game last night, the Major Ten issued a statement and raw video from its replay process that indicated how and why the decision was produced." Regardless, records will indicate Michigan beat Western Michigan 13-12. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

In short, NCAA acknowledges Michigan Hail Mary vs WMU should not have happened is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.