Western Michigan president reacts to controversial ending vs. Michigan, says whether university can appeal
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Western Michigan’s controversial 13-12 loss at Michigan was the talk of the college football world on Saturday. What initially looked like a Broncos win turned into a heartbreaking loss after Bryce Underwood’s touchdown pass to JJ Buchanan.
WMU president Russ Kavalhuna and head coach Lance Taylor met the media on Sunday to discuss the previous night’s events. For starters, the university is unable to appeal.
“I did want to find a way to appeal that decision, but there is none,” Kavalhuna said, per On3.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellinger, Kavalhuna mentioned holding discussions with Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, who has “been a good partner” and “very candid and open” about what happened. The B1G released a video in the early morning hours of Sunday, revealing that the clock in its replay center near Chicago was not in sync with the one on NBC’s broadcast.
While acknowledging the loss as “gut-wrenching,” Kavalhuna accepted the B1G’s explanation.
“It is a discrepancy — what the viewing public see and the reviewing officials see. I used to be a federal prosecutor. I don’t discern anything unfair or untoward in this process,” Kavalhuna said.
The MAC, for its part, released its own statement that it was in agreement with the B1G’s explanation and the result of the game.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
