NCAA Committee Rules on Michigan vs Western Michigan

A game Western Michigan fans will talk about for years now has an unusual footnote: an oversight committee determined the Broncos should have beaten Michigan. But the ruling changes nothing, Michigan keeps its last-second victory.

Michigan Edges Western Michigan in Controversial Finish

The Michigan Wolverines have faced the Western Michigan Broncos nine times since 1917. What is typically a routine matchup for Michigan turned into one of the most controversial endings in college football history, with the Wolverines narrowly escaping with a 13–12 victory.

Michigan opened the game with a scoring drive, capped by quarterback Bryce Underwood’s 1-yard rushing touchdown. From that point on, however, it was largely the Broncos controlling the game, until Michigan made its move in the final seconds.

The Broncos moved the ball effectively throughout the game but struggled to find the end zone against a stingy Wolverines defense. Western Michigan kicker Dieter Kelly connected on four field goals, giving the Broncos a 12–7 lead with just one second remaining. A controversial addition of one second to the clock gave Michigan one final opportunity to pull off the victory.

Committee Says Western Michigan Got Robbed of a Win

As you can see in the photo above, the Michigan and Western Michigan head coaches had very different reactions following the game’s controversial ending. After the officials added one second to the clock, the Wolverines were given one final opportunity to attempt a Hail Mary and steal the victory.

The NCAA reported after a letter from the Mid-American Conference that called for the outcome of the game to be overturned, the Division 1 Football Oversight Committee said the it cannot be overturned after officials have declared a game has ended.

According to NCAA rules, 1-1-3-b states that when the referee declares that the game is ended, the score is final. Rule 5-2-9 states that no rule decision may be changed after the ball is next legally snapped, legally free-kicked or the second or fourth periods have ended.

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Based on those rules the committee agreed that the instant replay protocols were not followed in the contest's second-to-last play. If the protocols were followed, the outcome of the game would have been different.

👇BELOW: Western Michigan University 10 Most Famous Alumni👇

Western Michigan University 10 Most Famous Alumni

Western Michigan University has sent plenty of Broncos out into the world who became big deals.

Some became household names. Others built careers in sports, music, movies, television, and business that made them instantly recognizable far beyond Kalamazoo.

Here are 10 of the most famous people with ties to Western Michigan University.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow