Broncos Coach Refuses to Blame Refs After Heartbreaking Loss to Michigan
Western Michigan football coach Lance Taylor is taking the high road after his team suffered a gut-wrenching 13-12 loss to Michigan on Saturday, a game that appeared to end with a Broncos victory before officials added one second back to the clock.
Despite the controversial finish that cost Western Michigan what would have been a program-defining upset, Taylor made it clear Sunday that he will not use officiating as an excuse.
Ultimately the refs did not cost this game, and if we make the mistake of making an excuse it allows us to be bitter instead of getting better, and I think that that's not where we want to go as a football team,
Taylor told reporters.
What happened on the final play?
The drama unfolded when Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood's Hail Mary pass fell incomplete with zero seconds showing on the clock. Western Michigan players began celebrating what looked like a 12-7 victory, one that would have ranked among the greatest wins in program history.
But officials reviewed the play and determined an extra second should be added. Given another opportunity, Underwood launched a second Hail Mary that JJ Buchanan caught in the end zone, giving Michigan the win and sending fans storming the field.
Big Ten and MAC explain the ruling
The Big Ten released a statement with video replay explaining that Western Michigan defensive back Micah Davis started his leap from out of bounds and touched the ball with one second remaining.
The conference cited NCAA rule 4-2-3-a, which states that a ball not in player control is out of bounds when it touches anything outside the boundary line.
Regarding the clock, the Big Ten said a side-by-side view of the play and the stadium game clock was used during the replay process to make the final determination.
The Mid-American Conference also released a statement saying it reached out to the Big Ten for clarification and received video and audio confirming the explanation.
What's next for Michigan and Western Michigan?
Michigan now faces a brutal stretch that includes No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Oregon, No. 6 Indiana, No. 18 Penn State, and No. 22 Iowa. If the Wolverines repeat Saturday's performance, they could struggle to reach a bowl game in head coach Kyle Whittingham's first season.
Western Michigan will look to bounce back in Week 2 against Monmouth.
Frequently asked questions
Did the referees cost Western Michigan the game?
Coach Lance Taylor says no, insisting the team must focus on improvement rather than excuses. The Big Ten and MAC both issued statements supporting the officials' decision to add one second back to the clock.
Why was time added to the clock?
The Big Ten ruled that a Western Michigan defender touched the ball while out of bounds before the clock hit zero, which required one additional play to be awarded.