Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor will likely spend a long time trying to forget what happened during the final few moments at the Big House. His team almost pulled off a historic upset against Michigan, but an extra second and a Hail Mary spoiled it. The referees’ decision to add time on the clock ignited much fury across college football. However, a day after the game, Taylor chose to take the high road instead of letting a bitter dispute ruin his team’s locker room.

“Ultimately, the refs did not cost this game,” Taylor said, putting the accountability squarely back on his own sideline, according to a tweet from Tony Garcia. “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’s words will give some respite to those at Ann Arbor, who have been dealing with all kinds of accusations since yesterday. For a moment, everyone thought that Western Michigan had pulled off a historic victory. With nine seconds on the clock, Bryce Underwood attempted a Hail Mary pass, but it sailed out of the end zone.

The broadcast clock showed that the time had expired before anyone touched Underwood’s attempted pass. Lance Taylor’s players ran to the field from the sidelines to celebrate with their defense. But the officials reviewed the play and ruled that the clock hadn’t expired before a Western Michigan player touched the ball while he was out of bounds.

The statement marks the end of a chaotic saga stemming from the final moments at the Big House. For a fleeting moment, everyone thought that the Broncos had pulled off an unthinkable, historic victory over the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor. However, a booth review controversially restored one single second to the game clock, granting Michigan one final gasp.

That was all Bryce Underwood needed, despite struggling for most of the game except for Michigan’s first drive. Kyle Whittingham’s QB1 threw another Hail Mary, but this time it landed in the hands of Utah transfer JJ Buchanan. The game was officially over. Michigan won 13-12, and the home fans rushed to the field to celebrate the victory.

In the immediate aftermath, a visibly stunned Taylor went into the postgame press conference fighting for his team. While maintaining professionalism, he made it clear he believed the clock had expired before the sequence that set up Underwood’s heroics.

“I have not seen the clip,” Taylor admitted right after the game, as per On3. “Several people have mentioned it to me that the game was over… I know when I looked up at the clock, it was past zero before we touched it. I knew that they’d review it. It’s the last play of the game, and because we defended it so well, I wasn’t worried or concerned about our guys going out and defending it a second time. Unfortunately, we did not defend it well the second time.”

After the game, Taylor suggested he would let MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher handle the administrative fallout. The incident sparked massive debate across the sport, with accusations that the Big Ten had rigged the game to protect its powerhouse program. The conference scrambled to release statements explaining why the final second was justifiably restored based on exact timing rules.

However, as the dust settled over the weekend, the broader college football establishment closed ranks. The Big Ten stood firmly by the strict interpretation of clock management, and the MAC nation largely accepted the decision’s finality. Recognizing that continuing to complain would yield no positive results, Taylor effectively gave up his crusade.

Taylor will now have to get Western Michigan to regroup quickly. Next Saturday brings a crucial home opener in Kalamazoo against Monmouth, with the Broncos expecting a massive turnout of supportive fans.

From there, two vital non-conference challenges await: a trip down to the Lone Star State to battle Rice, followed by a heavyweight Group of Five clash when Boise State comes to town.