The Big 12 Conference has issued another officiating correction involving BYU, this time after the Cougars’ 27-20 win over Arizona State in Provo.
The controversy came early, on a second-down snap from the Arizona State 1-yard line in the first quarter. BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier fumbled, Sione Moa recovered the ball, and after two separate reviews, officials ruled that Moa had crossed the goal line for a touchdown.
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham was visibly upset on the sideline as the call was overturned. FOX analyst Mike Pereria also said the ruling was wrong during the broadcast.
Hours after the game, the Big 12 said the touchdown should not have counted. The conference’s statement explained that at 11:27 in the first period, replay officials reviewed possession and determined the runner lost the ball before the forward progress spot. The ball was then recovered by another BYU player at the two-yard line, but the conference said the advance should have been nullified.
The Big 12 cited Rule 12-3-3-d-2, which states, “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.”
The conference’s conclusion was blunt: “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.”
It is the second straight time the Big 12 has weighed in on a BYU game after the fact. Two weeks ago, after BYU’s 28-24 win over Notre Dame, the conference said one second should have remained on the clock.
BYU is now 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Big 12 play. The Cougars’ next game is a rivalry matchup against Utah on November 7 at 10 a.m. (MT) on ABC and KSL NewsRadio.
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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 Win Draws Fresh Scrutiny After Another Big 12 Admission
The Big 12s latest officiating admission has put BYU back in an uncomfortable spotlight, this time over a touchdown in the win against Arizona State that the league says should never have counted. The conference said running back Sione Moas score was the result of an error, and the proper ruling should have left BYU with possession at the two-yard line instead.
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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 🡒]