Michigan defeated Western Michigan 13-12 after a final-play Hail Mary, but the decision to allow the play was met with controversy due to the game clock. NBC officiating analyst Terry McAulay offered a possible explanation for the ruling.
The game ended with a controversial play as Michigan attempted a 47-yard Hail Mary with seconds remaining. The initial attempt appeared incomplete as time expired, prompting a replay review. The Big Ten’s replay center ultimately added one second back to the clock, allowing for a second Hail Mary attempt which was successful, securing a 13-12 victory for Michigan.
Many observers believe the clock clearly showed zero when the ball was in the air on the first attempt, and should have stopped when Western Michigan safety Micah Davis stepped out of bounds. However, Terry McAulay, NBC’s officiating analyst, suggested a discrepancy between the stadium clock and the Big Ten’s replay center’s Hawk-Eye camera system may have led to the decision.
According to McAulay, “The ball isn't even close to touching the player when it goes to zero. Now their Hawk-Eye system apparently either — had a different sync or whatever and they came up with one second when it touched the players. I don't see how that happened, assuming our clock is correct. It is clearly not touching the player. The ball is clearly still in the air when the clock goes to zero on our screen. So the Big Ten's going to have to tell a lot of us how did they get to one second on this play.”
The Big Ten introduced the advanced replay center in 2024, promising access to every camera angle through Hawk-Eye’s Synchronised Multi-Angle Replay Technology. McAulay stated the conference “has some explaining to do” regarding the ruling.
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