Michigan Wolverines fend off shocking upset bid from Western Michigan in early season thriller

We just passed the 19th anniversary of Michigan’s shocking upset loss to Appalachian State that opened their 2007 season.

Well, we came about as close as you can to another major Michigan upset to kick off this year.

The Wolverines got their slate underway on Saturday night at Michigan Stadium by welcoming the Western Michigan Broncos.

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As is often the case in these Week 1 matchups, Michigan came into this one as an overwhelming 27.5-point favorite.

Oddsmakers were also looking at a fairly high-scoring game with the o/u set at 49.5.

However, this turned into a low-scoring, defensive battle, with Michigan opening the scoring when QB Bryce Underwood punched it into the end zone from the 1-yard line.

A few minutes later, the Broncos answered with a field goal, then tacked on another before halftime, and that was the end of the scoring in the first half.

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The teams went to the locker room with Michigan up just 7-6.

That was a stunner, but surely Michigan would come out firing and put the 2025 MAC champions away.

Nope.

The next time either team would score wasn’t until the fourth quarter, when Western Michigan kicked their third field goal of the game to go up 9-7.

Both teams failed to score on their next drives, but with Michigan looking like they were on the verge of at least marching downfield for a late game-winning field goal, the Broncos pulled off a stunner.

Western Michigan’s Joshua Franklin managed to punch the ball out of Underwood’s grasp as he fell to the turf, with the Broncos pouncing on top of it.

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Despite a scare due to a fumble of their own, the Broncos hung on to the ball and added another field goal to go up 12-7.

On the ensuing drive, Underwood connected with receiver Channing Goodwin around midfield, and with no timeouts, the Wolverines scrambled to the line of scrimmage to spike the ball with just nine seconds on the clock.

On the final play of the game, Underwood found space and gave his receivers time to get downfield before heaving a bomb that ended up sailing just out the back of the end zone.

But Michigan caught a break. Upon review, it was found that there was still one second left on the clock.

It was a controversial call, to say the least. Prepare to hear plenty of talk about it this week. The decision left just enough time for the Wolverines to get a snap off, with Underwood connecting with JJ Buchanan for a touchdown and a 13-12 Michigan win.

That 46-yard beauty of a Hail Mary for the win was the last of Underwood’s 170 passing yards. He also rushed for 46 yards and one touchdown.

That’s a maiden win for the Kyle Whittingham era in Ann Arbor, and surely no one saw it looking like that.

A heartbreaker for the Broncos and a heart-stopper for Michigan.

We’re barely into the college football season, and we already have a classic (with a bit of controversy mixed in to boot).

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Things will not get any easier for the Wolverines, as their next game will be on Sept. 12 when they welcome the No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners to the Big House.