Michigan avoids stunning upset on insane Hail Mary

Michigan avoided a historic upset to Western Michigan in the most dramatic way possible Saturday, connecting on a 47-yard Hail Mary in the final second to win 13-12.

Entering as a 27.5-point underdog, Western Michigan appeared to have the upset sealed when Michigan's first Hail Mary attempt went out of the back of the end zone. However, an official review restored one second to the clock in Ann Arbor, giving the Wolverines another chance.

With the added second, Bryce Underwood found JJ Buchanan in a sea of defenders to secure the incredible victory in Kyle Whittingham's debut as Michigan's head coach.

The Big Ten released its explanation of the ruling two hours after the contest, including the discussion during the replay review to show it determined the ball was touched out of bounds by a defender with one second left. That gave the officials clear evidence to add the extra second to the clock.

The MAC also issued a statement in response, agreeing with the ruling after seeing the replay booth's decision-making process.

The outcome could've been embarrassing for Whittingham after he joined the Wolverines following a 22-year run with Utah. Michigan is 37-1 all-time against MAC opponents, with the only loss coming in 2008.

While the result went the Wolverines' way, the euphoria will hide some serious issues with the team's offense. Outside of the winning Hail Mary, Underwood again struggled in the passing game and committed two turnovers.

Whittingham's Utah led the nation in rushing last season, but that strength didn't carry over to the Wolverines on Saturday. Michigan put up just 106 yards of offense on the ground in the win.

It's unlikely anybody in Ann Arbor is thinking about the flaws at the moment, with the fans storming the field to celebrate an unforgettable start to the season.