WMU's Kavalhuna backs Big Ten replay in Michigan loss — SkimNews
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- Russ Kavalhuna spoke with Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti Saturday night and said he didn't "discern anything unfair or untoward" with the replay decision that added one second back to the clock
- On what appeared to be the final play, Bryce Underwood's Hail Mary was caught by WMU safety Micah Davis, with TV replays showing the clock hitting zero while the ball was still in the air
- Big Ten replay officials restored one second, and Underwood then threw a second Hail Mary caught by JJ Buchanan for a 47-yard touchdown, sealing Michigan's 13-12 win
- The Big Ten released a recording two hours after the game showing the clock at one second when Davis touched the ball, citing the rule that stops the clock on contact by a player who jumped from out of bounds
- MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher told ESPN the process was properly followed and that he had "confidence in the integrity of the process and integrity of the people involved"
- Lance Taylor said refs didn't cost Western Michigan the game and refused to blame officials, calling a blame-the-refs stance "a victim's mentality"
- The loss prevented defending MAC champion Western Michigan from beating Michigan for the first time in program history
Why it matters: Both the Western Michigan president and the MAC commissioner publicly backed the Big Ten's replay process despite disagreeing with the outcome, defusing a potential conference-vs-conference controversy. The Big Ten also released audio and video of the Rosemont review room, using transparency to validate a decision that visibly upset the losing side.
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