Candice WilliamsThe Detroit News
Updated Sept. 6, 2026, 1:20 p.m. ET
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Michigan, Western Michigan and the Big Ten weighed in on the Wolverines‘ last-second win over the Broncos Saturday night with fairly straightforward positions.
But some armchair officials and those who make an effort to keep their fandom at arm’s length also shared their takes on social media, and their views on the game’s Hail Mary ending and the controversial call that preceded it were varied and nuanced.
Despite the victory, some Michigan fans criticized the Wolverines’ overall performance, saying the team still had much work to do.
Michigan fan Dan Waddle said Western won the game despite the 13-12 final score. The officials, without explanation, had put one second on the clock after the Wolverines had failed on a Hail Mary, setting up the second successful try from Bryce Underwood to JJ Buchanan.
“It’s unbelievable Michigan got an extra down. Incredible catch, love my wolverines” Waddle wrote. “Still not the right call.”
Justin Thompson said he has been a Michigan fan for more than 30 years, but he was not pleased with the Wolverines’ play in general or Underwood’s in particular.
“They did not deserve this win,” Thompson wrote. “WMU deserved it.”
Morathi Howie said Western Michigan was cheated, “but that was a heck of a throw and catch by #19 and #6! Go Blue!”
Michigan fan Sarah Fischer said she was “horrified at how that game was ‘won.’ Your team (Western Michigan) won it and absolutely deserved it. It wasn’t just the one second absolutely added to Michigan. The entire final drive was miss call after miss call in Michigan’s favor. Your boys deserved better than that ending!”
Western Michigan fans praised the Broncos’ effort, calling them the real winners.
“You know you won that game,” Aaron Pape wrote. “Everyone in the world knows you won that game. Even UM knows.”
Jacob Burns said “yall won in Americas hearts, keep your heads up, yall did not lose that game. 12-7 Broncos win.”
Robbie Jones, who posted on a Broncos site, said he is a Tennessee fan but rooted for Western. “Hold your heads high; we all know you beat Michigan fair and square,” Jones wrote. “You were robbed on paper, but you won that game.”
Many fans on both sides questioned the call that put one second back on the clock.
Dave Shaw said he is a lifelong Michigan fan, and the clock “clearly hit zero before anybody touched that first Hail Mary. I suppose it doesn’t matter because if they play like that, Michigan will lose by 50 next week to Oklahoma.”
Western Michigan fan Jennifer Miller Fedewa said the Broncos should use the game as motivation.
“Take that completely justified sadness, anger, and disgust and use it to your advantage on the field.You’ve got this, and your WMU Family has you!” Fedewa wrote.
