The ending of Notre Dame’s 28-24 loss to BYU was already the kind of finish that gets argued about for days. Then the Big 12 stepped in early Sunday morning and made it clear the final snap never should have been the final snap.
After No. 2 Notre Dame needed a touchdown on the last play to beat No.
8 BYU on Saturday, CJ Carr launched a pass toward Jade Greathouse that hit the turf in the end zone. Officials then ended the game after a short discussion, and BYU fans rushed the field at Lavell Edwards Stadium.
But the conference said there was still time left.
In a statement released early Sunday morning, the Big 12 said Notre Dame should have had another play because there were :01 remaining on the clock.
"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 Conference will conduct a complete review of its end-of-game officiating process in advance of next week's games."
The clock mistake adds another strange wrinkle to a season already seeing its share of officiating chaos. In Week 1, Michigan was awarded an extra second against Western Michigan and turned it into a successful Hail Mary. This one feels different, though, because the Big 12’s own review says there was no question that time should have been put back on the clock.
What remains to be seen is how the College Football Playoff Committee handles the fallout when it eventually weighs Notre Dame and BYU later in the season.
In Other News...
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 🡒]