Bryce Underwood and the Michigan Wolverines were seemingly given a second chance Saturday night against Western Michigan.
The quarterback threw a Hail Mary pass out of the end zone and the clock hit zero, giving WMU a 12-7 upset victory for the ages. Michigan had lost and the season seemed over before it truly began. That was until the referees made the controversial decision to add one more second to the clock and give the Wolverines another chance.
Underwood took advantage and threw a perfect ball toward the end zone. JJ Buchanan came down with the ball, Michigan won, and the home fans stormed the field.
This game is going to be the main talking point of Week 1 and potentially one of the main topics of the entire season, especially if Michigan earns a playoff berth. But the fact is Michigan is now 1-0 and must move on from this game fast. The same is true for Underwood after an ugly performance in the season opener.
Bryce Underwood Had a Rough Game Against WMU
Underwood is reportedly earning $3 million this season. That type of money comes with expectations of winning and guiding Michigan toward a College Football Playoff berth and ultimately another national title.
However, the signal-caller looked like he was the MAC quarterback in Saturday’s game. The box score will show he finished 12/22 for 170 yards and a touchdown. The Hail Mary to win the game gave him 47 of those yards and his only touchdown pass of the game.
That is a shocking result and one that should have Michigan fans concerned due to next week’s opponent.
Michigan Gets Another Challenge in Week 2
The game against Western Michigan was supposed to be a simple victory and tune-up for next week’s game at home against the Oklahoma Sooners. That was far from the case.
Michigan fans will now have to come down from the excitement of storming the field and realize next week’s opponent is a legitimate national title contender. Oklahoma won its season opener by a final of 51-0 over UTEP.
Underwood in particular needs to move on and pretend nothing in this game happened aside from his final pass of the night. The highly-paid quarterback looked like a shell of his expected self, only to finally come through on the final play of the game.
Michigan entered this season with national championship expectations. The team must now accept the reality of Saturday’s win and regroup before an elite Oklahoma team shows up next week in Ann Arbor. Scoring 13 points likely won’t get the job done against the Sooners.
Bryce Underwood Must Move on Fast Following Michigan’s Hail Mary Win