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Week 1 · Sept 6, 2026

DEBUT WEEK — ANN ARBOR, MI

MICHIGAN
13
–
WESTERN MICHIGAN
12

FINAL, on a second-attempt Hail Mary · Michigan opened as a 27.5-point favorite

KYLE WHITTINGHAM'S HOT SEAT

SIMMERING
ICE COLD SCORCHING

One game into a five-year deal, and the seat is already warm — though the Hail Mary bought Whittingham a reprieve before it could get hot.

How it happened

Kyle Whittingham's first game as Michigan's head coach was supposed to be a formality. The Wolverines opened as 27.5-point favorites over Western Michigan, a MAC program picked to finish mid-pack in its own conference.

Instead, Michigan needed a second-attempt Hail Mary to escape with a 13-12 win, after officials put one second back on the clock following what had looked like a game-ending incompletion. Quarterback Bryce Underwood connected on the do-over, and Whittingham left Michigan Stadium with a win — and a wave of criticism about how he got there, including his in-game management and his decision to stick with Underwood over backup Tommy Carr.

The App State precedent

Every close call against a lower-tier opponent at Michigan gets measured against one game: the 2007 loss to Appalachian State, still the standard for stunning season openers in Ann Arbor. This one didn't end in a loss, but the margin was close enough that the comparison came from Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde within hours of the final whistle, who suggested Whittingham was flirting with the worst opening performance at Michigan since that 2007 shock.

NOV 2007

L, unranked App State

Michigan favored by roughly four touchdowns; lost outright to an FCS opponent.

SEPT 2026

W, Western Michigan

Michigan favored by 27.5; survived by one point on a last-second Hail Mary.

Under the microscope: the QB call

A chunk of the criticism aimed at Whittingham wasn't about the final score at all — it was about who was on the field. Whittingham stuck with Bryce Underwood through the struggles, and some observers argued he overlooked a healthier option on the bench.

Bryce Underwood
Started, finished it

Struggled for most of the afternoon before delivering the winning Hail Mary on the second try.

Tommy Carr
Backup, stayed on the sideline

Named by some critics as the quarterback Whittingham should have turned to sooner.

What people are saying

Whittingham is "closing in on the worst season-opening performance at Michigan since App State." — Pat Forde, Sports Illustrated

The reaction wasn't limited to one columnist. Fans and analysts spent the weekend picking apart Whittingham's clock management and quarterback loyalty, even as the win itself kept Michigan's record spotless. A one-point escape against a heavy underdog is the kind of result that gets forgiven in the standings and remembered everywhere else.

Timeline to the seat