Updated Sept. 26, 2026, 8:02 p.m. ET
No. 18 Michigan football fell on the final play of the game in its first game on the Big Ten schedule — and this time, officials didn’t put an extra second on the clock.
No. 17 Iowa squeaked out a 20-19 victory on the road in Ann Arbor, Michigan, thanks to a last-second 16-yard touchdown connection between quarterback Hank Brown and receiver Reece Vander Zee, who got both feet in the end zone as he fell out of bounds for the game-clincher.
Here’s a look at the play:
The setup for the final play was almost as interesting as the play itself. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz initially attempted a 51-yard field goal on the Hawkeyes’ penultimate drive, which missed. However, the defense stood strong, forcing a three-and-out to give the offense the ball at its own 9-yard line with 1:36 remaining.
The Hawkeyes were able to advance the ball downfield without facing a single fourth-down conversion attempt, leading Iowa to make the fateful play (though with some pretty nifty catches in the leadup to help the drive along).
Considering the entertaining back-and-forth nature of the game — and the Wolverines‘ controversial finish to the Western Michigan game — the college football world had plenty of reactions to the finish.
Here’s a sample of some of the more notable reactions:
Leave a Reply