ANN ARBOR, MI (9-5-26) — For a moment, Michigan Stadium went silent.

Western Michigan thought it had done it.

The Broncos thought they had walked into the Big House, stared down No. 16 Michigan and spoiled the beginning of the Kyle Whittingham era.

The clock showed zeros. Bryce Underwood’s (#19) desperation pass had fallen incomplete. Western Michigan players began celebrating what appeared to be a stunning upset.

Game over.

Except it wasn’t.

Officials reviewed the ending and determined Michigan should have one second put back on the clock.

One second.

One play.

One prayer.

And Bryce Underwood called on the football gods.

The gods delivered.

Underwood escaped pressure, bought enough time and launched the football high into the Ann Arbor night toward the end zone.

Waiting underneath it was JJ Buchanan (#6).

Buchanan came down with the 47-yard Hail Mary touchdown, Michigan Stadium erupted and thousands of Wolverines fans poured onto the field as Michigan escaped with an improbable 13-12 victory over Western Michigan Saturday night.

It was one of those finishes that will be replayed around Ann Arbor for years.

FROM CERTAIN DEFEAT TO CHAOS

Michigan appeared to be in serious trouble when Western Michigan kicker Dieter Kelly (#32) connected on a 33-yard field goal with 35 seconds remaining, giving the Broncos a 12-7 advantage.

Michigan had 75 yards to go.

Underwood immediately went to work.

After an incomplete pass, he found Buchanan for a huge 28-yard completion, moving Michigan to the Western Michigan 47-yard line.

A spike and another incomplete pass followed.

Then came what everyone inside Michigan Stadium believed was Michigan’s final opportunity.

Underwood’s first desperation throw failed, and the clock appeared to expire.

Western Michigan celebrated.

Michigan waited.

Then came the announcement: one second remained.

The Broncos were forced back onto the field.

Underwood took the snap, scrambled away from pressure and heaved the football toward a collection of maize-and-blue and white jerseys in the end zone.

Buchanan found it.

Touchdown Michigan.

13-12.

Pandemonium.

Students and fans spilled from the stands and onto the Michigan Stadium turf, surrounding the Wolverines as a game that appeared lost seconds earlier suddenly became a victory.

BUCHANAN DELIVERS WHEN MICHIGAN NEEDS HIM MOST

Buchanan could not have scripted a better Michigan debut.

The receiver finished with career highs of six receptions for 126 yards, including the 47-yard touchdown that won the game.

Underwood’s night was considerably more complicated.

Michigan’s quarterback completed 12 of 22 passes for 170 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also led Michigan on the ground with 47 rushing yards on nine carries and scored the Wolverines’ first touchdown of the season on a one-yard run.

But the final numbers hardly describe his night.

Underwood made mistakes. Michigan’s offense sputtered. The Wolverines turned the football over three times.

And when Michigan needed its quarterback most, Underwood delivered.

WESTERN MICHIGAN DESERVED BETTER

Michigan may have won the game, but Western Michigan deserves considerable credit.

The defending Mid-American Conference champions came into the Big House as heavy underdogs and nearly left with one of the biggest victories in program history.

The Broncos controlled possession for an astonishing 40 minutes, 8 seconds, compared with just 19:52 for Michigan.

Western Michigan ran 67 plays to Michigan’s 48 and methodically frustrated the Wolverines throughout the evening.

Quarterback Broc Lowry completed 15 of 21 passes for 89 yards, while Jalen Buckley carried 19 times for 62 yards.

And Kelly was nearly the hero.

He connected on field goals from 52, 45, 39 and 33 yards, accounting for all 12 Western Michigan points.

His final field goal appeared to have delivered the upset.

Instead, it merely set the stage for one of the wildest finishes the Big House has seen.

A WIN — AND A WARNING

Michigan is 1-0.

That is the good news.

But there will be plenty for Whittingham and his staff to address.

Michigan committed three turnovers, was penalized nine times for 80 yards and managed only 276 yards of offense.

The Wolverines’ running game never established the dominance Michigan football traditionally expects. Jordan Marshall (#23) carried 11 times for 44 yards, while Savion Hiter added 15 yards on five attempts.

The Michigan defense deserves much of the credit for keeping the Wolverines alive.

Linebacker Troy Bowles recorded a career-high 12 tackles, while defensive end Dom Nichols finished with career highs of nine tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Western Michigan finished with only 221 total yards.

Still, Michigan entered the evening as a significant favorite. This was not supposed to require divine intervention.

Instead, Whittingham’s first victory as Michigan’s head coach required almost everything imaginable — mistakes, turnovers, controversy, a clock review and finally a prayer thrown toward the Michigan Stadium end zone.

Michigan improved to 9-0 all-time against Western Michigan and 38-1 against Mid-American Conference opponents.

More importantly, the Wolverines survived.

There were 110,879 fans inside Michigan Stadium Saturday night.

For 59 minutes and 59 seconds, they watched Michigan struggle.

For one final second, they witnessed something they may never forget.

Bryce Underwood threw it up.

JJ Buchanan came down with it.

The fans came onto the field.

And somehow, someway, the Michigan Wolverines walked out of the Big House 1-0.

Next comes No. 10 Oklahoma.

Michigan survived Western Michigan.

Against the Sooners, one second and a prayer may not be enough.