AUSTIN, Texas — Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Monday that he was shocked to see fans storm the field after the Michigan Wolverines‘ 13-12 win over the Western Michigan Broncos, and that the ruling that made the winning play possible still does not make sense to him.
Sarkisian made the comments at his weekly news conference in Austin.
Bryce Underwood threw the first Hail Mary from Western Michigan’s 47-yard line Saturday night at Michigan Stadium. The ball sailed past the end zone. Western Michigan players ran out to celebrate with the stadium clock showing zeros, and Broncos coach Lance Taylor and his staff pulled them back to the sideline for a review. Officials put one second back on the clock. Underwood’s second attempt went 47 yards to JJ Buchanan in the end zone. Buchanan finished with 6 receptions, 126 yards, and 1 touchdown on 9 targets.
Steve Sarkisian On The Michigan Ruling And The Field Storming
Sarkisian has lost a game on a Hail Mary himself. Western Michigan played its tails off and lost anyway.
“I didn’t see the Michigan game in real time,” Sarkisian said. “I saw the aftermath watching different sports shows and reading about it. And I still don’t understand or get the final ruling of it all. Unfortunate for Western Michigan to play their tails off the way they did and to lose like that. I’ve lost a game like that before on a Hail Mary, and that definitely sucks.”
“My biggest thing is that I was shocked they stormed the field,” Sarkisian continued. “That was probably a surprise.”
Two hours after the game, the Big Ten released a statement standing by the review and published a recording of the officials’ replay discussion, according to ESPN. The recording showed the game clock at 1 second when the ball was first touched by a Western Michigan defender.
Western Michigan president Russ Kavalhuna took the podium during the Broncos’ postgame news conference and said the team deserved another look. Kavalhuna and Taylor held a second news conference Sunday afternoon.
Michigan was favored by 27 1/2 points. Saturday was the first game of Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham‘s tenure in Ann Arbor.
Texas Longhorns Host Ohio State On Saturday Night In Austin
The Texas Longhorns beat Michigan 41-27 in the Citrus Bowl on Dec. 31, 2025. Arch Manning was named most valuable player. Underwood threw three interceptions in the second half of that game.
Texas opened this season Saturday with a 59-7 win over Texas State at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Manning finished 20-of-27 for 305 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception before leaving midway through the third quarter with Texas ahead 42-7. More than 50 Longhorns played in the first half.
No. 5 Texas hosts No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC. ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast from campus from 8 to 11 a.m. CT. Ohio State has won the last two meetings. The Buckeyes took last season’s opener in Columbus 14-7 and the Cotton Bowl semifinal 28-14 the season before, and they opened this year with a 56-3 win over Ball State.
Oklahoma visits Michigan on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. Texas and Oklahoma meet Oct. 10 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
