Updated
Updated · ESPN · Sep 6
Western Michigan President Backs 1-Second Replay Ruling After Michigan's 47-Yard Winning TD
Updated
Updated · ESPN · Sep 6

Western Michigan President Backs 1-Second Replay Ruling After Michigan's 47-Yard Winning TD

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Sep 6

Summary

  • Russ Kavalhuna said Sunday he found nothing "unfair or untoward" in the Big Ten review that restored 1 second before Michigan's 13-12 win over Western Michigan.
  • Big Ten officials told him the discrepancy came from what TV viewers saw versus replay officials' side-by-side clock review, which the league said showed Micah Davis touching the ball with 1 second left.
  • That extra second gave Bryce Underwood one more snap, and JJ Buchanan caught a 47-yard Hail Mary touchdown after Davis' apparent game-ending interception.
  • Coach Lance Taylor and MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher also said the process was properly followed, even as the ruling denied defending MAC champion Western Michigan its first-ever win over Michigan.
  • Western Michigan said it had exhausted its options and will move on, framing the finish as a lesson against blaming officials for the loss.

Insights

Will Western Michigan's choice to accept a controversial last-second loss spark a nationwide overhaul of football's replay review system?
Why did a hidden stadium clock overrule the TV broadcast to strip a massive college football upset from Western Michigan?
Could the lack of fractional-second precision in college football clocks secretly dictate the fate of this year's playoff contenders?