The Big 12 said officials got the final sequence wrong in BYU’s 26-17 win over Notre Dame on Saturday, ruling that one second should have remained after the last play in Provo.
That extra tick would have given Notre Dame one more snap after its desperate late drive ended at the BYU 8-yard line with four seconds left. The Fighting Irish, trailing by four, moved the ball downfield in the closing minute and then sent a pass into the end zone that fell incomplete, touching off the celebration. But according to the conference, the game should not have been over yet.
"Following the Big 12's review of the final play of Saturday's Notre Dame-BYU game, it was determined that time remained on the clock when the ball hit the ground and the play was incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew," the Big 12 said in a statement obtained by Ralph Russo of The Athletic. "The Conference will conduct a complete review of its end-of-game officiating process in advance of next week's games."
The incomplete pass was not the only issue on the final snap. Notre Dame also believed it had a case for pass interference, as the BYU defender was draped all over the receiver on the play, but no flag came.
The clock mistake adds another chapter to a season already marked by officiating controversy across college football. The opener brought one of the earliest flashpoints, when officials in Michigan’s game against Western Michigan put one second back on the clock for the Wolverines to run another Hail Mary. Michigan then turned that second chance into a miraculous game-winning touchdown.
The NCAA FBS Oversight Committee later said replay procedures were not handled properly in that game, though it also said the result could not be altered.
More recently, Oregon found itself on the wrong end of a replay-related mess against UCLA. After a UCLA penalty gave the Ducks another shot at a two-point conversion, Oregon lined up just outside the one-yard line when it should have been placed at the half-yard line. The Ducks came up inches short on the try and lost 17-15.
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BYU Win Over Notre Dame Just Sparked A Brutal New Debate
The aftermath of BYUs win over Notre Dame has quickly shifted from celebration to scrutiny, with the Big 12 acknowledging that the game clock should have shown one second remaining after an incomplete pass by Irish quarterback CJ Carr. Instead, the replay officiating crew cleared the play and the contest ended, leaving Notre Dame without the chance to run one more snap from BYUs 8-yard line.
Now the conference is set to conduct a full review of the end-of-game officiating process, which only adds to the frustration around a finish that already had people debating what should have happened next. For BYU, the result still stands for the moment, but the closing sequence has become the kind of replay controversy that can linger long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
BYUs Notre Dame Win Just Took A Controversial Turn
BYUs 28-24 win over Notre Dame now comes with an awkward asterisk after the Big 12 acknowledged that the final sequence was handled incorrectly. According to the conference, there was still time left when Notre Dames last pass hit the ground, but the replay officiating crew cleared the play anyway, ending the game before the Fighting Irish could get another snap.
The admission doesnt change the result, but it does put the finish under a brighter spotlight than anyone in Provo expected. The Big 12 said it will review its end-of-game officiating procedures after the mistake, leaving a major win for the Cougars attached to a conference-wide replay issue that is sure to linger a while. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Was Left Fuming After A Brutal Endgame Officiating Controversy
Notre Dames frustration from the Week 7 finish against BYU came from more than one call, or no-call, in the games closing moments. A missed defensive pass interference flag and a series of clock management mistakes by the officials shaped the final sequence, turning the ending into the kind of controversy that tends to linger long after the final whistle.
The Big 12 later acknowledged there was still one second left on the clock after the final play, meaning the replay officiating crew should not have ended it when it did. The result left Notre Dame fuming and added another layer to a night already marked by debate, with former NFL player Breiden Fehoko also stoking the conversation by publicly claiming officials rig games at both the NFL and college levels, a charge that remains unverified. [Read more 🡒]