The Big 12 has again found itself explaining a call that went BYU’s way.
After No. 8 BYU beat unranked Arizona State 27-20 on Saturday afternoon, the conference said officials got it wrong when they awarded the Cougars a touchdown following a fumble recovery by running back Sione Moa. The play came with 11:27 left in the first period and gave BYU points it should not have received, according to the league.
The conference’s statement said replay officials stopped the game to examine possession after quarterback Bear Bachmeier lost the ball. The ball was recovered by Moa at the two-yard line, and he was then credited with a touchdown.
The Big 12 pointed to Rule 12-3-3-d-2, which says: “If the replay official rules that the ball was not dead, it belongs to the recovering team at the spot of the recovery and any advance is nullified.”
It added: “Replay was incorrect in awarding a score. The correct ruling should have been BYU ball for a third and goal attempt from the two-yard line.”
The sequence had already turned contentious before the touchdown ever stood. On first and goal from the 1, Bachmeier’s quarterback sneak was ruled short, though it appeared close enough to draw a replay look. That review never came, and BYU lined up for second down while boos rolled over the officiating crew.
On the next snap, Bachmeier again tried a QB sneak and lost the football. Moa picked it up and scored, but the replay process was lengthy before officials finally signaled touchdown.
This was the second straight BYU home game in which the Big 12 issued a statement saying officials had made a mistake that benefited the Cougars. Two weeks earlier, the conference said Notre Dame should have had one second left and one more play in the Irish’s 28-24 loss to BYU.
In Other News...
BYU Win Over Arizona State Just Sparked A Big 12 Debate
The Big 12s acknowledgment of an officiating error in BYUs 27-20 win over Arizona State has added a fresh layer to a game that already carried plenty of weight in the conference race. The issue centered on a fumble recovery that was incorrectly ruled a touchdown, a call that immediately shifted the tone of the matchup and left one side feeling as if the moment had been decided on the spot.
For BYU, the result still stands, but the debate around how the play should have been handled is impossible to ignore because the awarded points matched the final margin. The correct ruling would have given the Cougars possession where the fumble was recovered, not a touchdown, and that distinction has turned a hard-fought win into one of the more talked-about officiating controversies in the Big 12 this season. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Beat Arizona State But Utah Concerns Just Got Harder To Ignore
BYU got the result it needed against Arizona State, but the way it got there did little to quiet the questions around this team. The Cougars won 27-20 in a game that featured an early turnover, a quick touchdown off that takeaway and enough timely fourth-quarter plays to finish the job, yet the offense never looked fully comfortable for long stretches. The run game was especially sluggish, and the third quarter offered little relief as BYU spent much of the afternoon fighting for rhythm.
For a team still trying to sort out how sturdy it really is, the win came with some familiar warning signs attached. BYUs defense created an early edge, but it also had to absorb enough pressure to keep the game tight, and the offensive inconsistency left the Cougars leaning on situational execution instead of control. The victory counts, of course, but it also leaves the bigger concern hanging around as the schedule keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Win Reignites Frustration Over Another Big 12 Officiating Error
BYUs win over Arizona State came with another officiating wrinkle that quickly became part of the conversation afterward. On the field, a touchdown was initially awarded after running back Sione Moa came up with a fumble recovery, but the Big 12 later acknowledged the score should not have counted and that BYU should have been facing third-and-goal from the two-yard line instead.
For a program that is still getting used to life in the Big 12, the correction only added to the frustration around how these games are being handled. It also came on the heels of another officiating adjustment in a recent BYU game against Notre Dame, leaving the Cougars with a familiar feeling that a clean result on the scoreboard has not always meant a clean finish in the review process. [Read more 🡒]