It wasn't pretty, it was actually very ugly, but Michigan somehow walked away with a 13-12 win over Western Michigan in Week 1. Kyle Whittingham's debut brought more questions than answers for Michigan, and when deciding who the biggest winners and losers were, the latter was an easier decision than the former.
So, who actually performed well enough in Michigan's outlandish win over the Broncos? Let's take a look.
Winners
DE Dom Nichols
The defense was the real winner in this game, as Jay Hill's unit kept the Wolverines in this one. The biggest star was easily defensive end Dom Nichols, who was a standout in fall camp. Nichols was all over the field for the Wolverines, and even came up big with tackles for a loss and sacks.
Nichols finished with 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for a loss, nine total tackles, and four solo tackles. At times, Nichols lived in the backfield, stopping the Broncos on third down and helping Michigan stay within reach of this game.
WR JJ Buchanan
Utah transfer JJ Buchanan was the star of the first and really only meaningful drive for Michigan, being Bryce Underwood's preferred target. He even had a highlight catch, going up to find a ball when Underwood was under pressure, and who would have thought it was the second-best catch of the night for him.
Didn’t take long for JJ Buchanan to flash his sick ball skills and body control for Michigan.
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) September 5, 2026
At Utah as a freshman he had just one drop. Should be Bryce Underwood’s best friend this year. pic.twitter.com/cJYji1zOhi
Buchanan's biggest moment of the night came on the final play, of course. When Michigan was gifted one final second, even the commentators said Underwood had to find Buchanan, and he must have been listening. The elite wide receiver was the one to go up and find the ball on the big Hail Mary play to win Michigan the game, stunning Western Michigan in the end.
Can't get enough of this INSANE JJ BUCHANAN catch to win it for @UMichFootball 〽️
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 6, 2026
(via NBC) pic.twitter.com/Xv5ixWDy9T
Buchanan finished his Michigan debut with six receptions for 126 yards and the incredible final touchdown.
Losers
Bryce Underwood
It probably isn't a big surprise to see Underwood's name first on the losers' list. Even though his first drive and final play were the biggest of the game for Michigan, everything in between was troublesome to watch.
It looked like Underwood reverted to his old self instead of the new and improved quarterback he looked like on the first drive of the game. His footwork was sloppy, he couldn't read the defense, didn't know when to use his legs effectively, and his passes were completely off.
If Underwood wants to keep the starting job, he is going to have to show some major improvement against Oklahoma, which may not prove to be very easy.
Andrew Marsh
Andrew Marsh was practically nonexistent for Michigan on Saturday night after being the leading receiver for the Wolverines just a season ago. With only two receptions for 15 yards, Marsh could have at least used the excuse that nothing was working offensively for Michigan, but his play on special teams earned him a spot on this list.
After a big defensive stop, Michigan could have ridden the momentum wave and found an offensive groove, but they never got the chance after Marsh muffed the punt, giving Western Michigan excellent field position. Luckily, the defense held up, but turnovers were a problem for the Wolverines, and Marsh added to it.
Savion Hiter
Savion Hiter didn't necessarily do much to hurt Michigan, but he never really got the chance to help them. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck never completely abandoned the run game, but Hiter only saw five touches for 15 yards. Maybe Hiter would have seen the ball more if Michigan hadn't been fighting for its life on offense, but still, not what anyone expected to see from the 5-star freshman.
Jason Beck
With how bad the offense looks, it wouldn't have been right not to have offensive coordinator Jason Beck on the losers list. Beck was supposed to come to Michigan and help fix the offense, and it looks like nothing changed, even with a win. Playcalling grew stale, and it never felt like Beck went back to what worked in the first drive.
Underwood was comfortable with the short, quick passes and quarterback-designed runs on the first drive, but Beck got away from that, and the offense took a nosedive. Michigan has a lot of work to do before its Week 2 matchup against No. 10 Oklahoma, and it all starts with the offense.
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