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

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) – Bryce Underwood watched his pass sail out of bounds, and he thought he knew what that meant for No.

Key points

• Given a second chance by a disputed replay decision, Underwood and the Wolverines took advantage.
• "I definitely thought the game was over because there were zeroes on the clock, " he remarked.
• TV replays appeared to show the clock hitting zero with the ball still in the air, but authorities ruled there was a second still to play.

What happened

"I definitely thought the game was over because there were zeroes on the clock, " he remarked. So did Western Michigan. So did a lot of individuals 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 authorities ruled there was a second still to play.

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around no. 16 Michigan escapes an epic loss thanks to a disputed replay point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.