The final score of Michigan and Western Michigan does not tell the story of how that game went down. Sure, the Wolverines walked away with the 13-12 win over the Broncos, but they received a MAJOR assist from the refs and replay review.
The game was over, the clock had hit zero. Bryce Underwood threw the Hail Mary out the back of the end zone, and both teams were getting ready to shake hands. Then the refs called for replay, and suddenly a second reappeared on the clock, and Michigan had one final breath of life. It took a miracle pass to the end zone and the magical work of Utah transfer JJ Buchanan going up and finding the ball. Despite that, Kyle Whittingham was not happy after the final whistle, and no one can blame him for that. Matter of fact, he was quick to call out his guys a bit too.
"There was not a lot of hooting and hollering in that locker room," Whittingham said, clearly referencing the rough night for his players. "I'm mad. I'm still pissed."
The crowd rushed the field and the celebrations began, but, again, Whittingham didn't seem to be in the celebrating mood. Sure, his team just won in his Michigan debut, but was that really how he wanted it to go? Of course not.
Kyle Whittingham: "There was not a lot of hooting and hollering in that locker room ... I'm mad, I'm still pissed."
— Tony Garcia | Detroit Free Press (@RealTonyGarcia) September 6, 2026
Michigan may have won, but there is not a lot to celebrate in 13-12 defeat of Western Michigan
Wahoo, Michigan won (said very sarcastically). Sure, it is great that Michigan actually walked away with the W, but there is really nothing to be proud of with this team except for the play of the defense. If it wasn't for Jay Hill's unit, this would have been a two-score win in favor of Western Michigan.
"Not much good happened in the middle, but we will get better,"Whittingham said in the middle of the chaos. "We got a lot of work to do. We got a bunch of work to do."
Sure, the defense gave up 12 points and long drives to the Broncos, but Western Michigan dominated the time of possession 40:08 to 19:26, which means they were on the field a lot and still held up when it mattered most. Forcing field goals instead of allowing touchdowns was huge for the Michigan defense, and it was really the only bright spot in this game besides the miracle pass.
Even Whittingham said Underwood was great on the first drive, and then, really, other than the last play, everything in between was another story. The offense was stalled all night long, barely moving down the field and it looked abysmal on third down.
If Michigan has any hope of making it to the College Football Playoff, or honestly, at this point, a bowl game, something needs to change. Whittingham hit the nail right on the head: Michigan has a lot of work to do, and with No. 10 Oklahoma up next, this could be the practice week from hell for the Wolverines.
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