Western Michigan Coach Sounds Off After Controversial Loss to Michigan
Michigan survived a near-upset with a controversial Hail Mary, as Western Michigan's coach fired off a bold statement afterward.
Western Michigan nearly pulled off an upset victory over Michigan on Saturday, despite falling short by a narrow margin. The Broncos led by 12-7 late in the fourth quarter and forced three turnovers against the heavily favored Wolverines. With Michigan's quarterback Bryce Underwood throwing an incomplete Hail Mary with one second left on the clock, Western Michigan's players began to celebrate what would have been a historic win.
However, officials quickly reviewed the play, adding one second to the clock, and disallowed Micah Davis' out-of-bounds touch. Michigan's Bryce Underwood then completed another Hail Mary, leading to a 47-yard touchdown by JJ Buchanan, securing the Wolverines' win. The controversial play has sparked debate, but Western Michigan coach Lance Taylor remained positive, stating, "They proved tonight that we can play with anybody in the country.
Game 1 to come to the Big House... and to me, out-physical [Michigan] for 60 minutes is exciting." This could serve as motivation for the Wolverines, facing an even tougher schedule ahead, including a game against Oklahoma. Western Michigan, while starting the year on a difficult note, can take solace in nearly beating a team some consider playoff-caliber.
Their upcoming games against Monmouth, Rice, Boise State, and Buffalo present a more manageable challenge.
Written by urgent.news from Newsweek's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
