The Big 12 admitted Sunday that its replay crew mishandled the final snap of No. 2 Notre Dame’s 28-24 loss at No. 8 BYU on Saturday night in Provo, Utah, turning a chaotic finish into a controversy that could have had one more play left in it.
After quarterback CJ Carr’s last throw to Jaden Greathouse hit the ground in the end zone, officials reviewed the play and left the clock as it was. That decision drew immediate criticism on social media, with members of the broadcast and others saying a second should have gone back on the clock before the game was allowed to end.
The conference later confirmed the mistake in a statement.
"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."
Had the clock been adjusted correctly, Notre Dame would have gotten one more shot from BYU’s 8-yard line, with a touchdown offering a chance to steal the lead and the win. Instead, the game ended, fans rushed the field, and the Irish headed straight to the tunnel.
There was also a separate officiating question on the final sequence. ESPN/ABC rules analyst Matt Austin said during the broadcast, "I think it warranted a flag," adding, "That's a lot of contact where you're not playing the ball... I would've supported a DPI."
Even with the late-game error, the loss wasn’t only about the officiating. BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier outplayed Carr, and Notre Dame had trouble getting consistent pressure after defensive end Boubacar Traore was ejected for targeting early in the first quarter.
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman addressed the ending without trying to make it the whole story.
"I'm obviously going to probably feel some type of way when I'm out there," Freeman said about the final play. "We'll watch it, but it is what it is.
I know people are going to look for me to put blame on somebody else. That's not what we do around here.
We own it and we got to be better and we got to execute no matter what the situation is."
In Other News...
Notre Dames BYU Loss Just Got Even More Infuriating
The sting from Notre Dames loss at BYU got sharper when the Big 12 acknowledged that an officiating error affected the games final sequence. One second remained on the clock, but it was not properly accounted for, and the replay crew incorrectly cleared the play that ended the game. For Notre Dame, that meant no extra snap on 2nd and goal and no chance to keep pushing for a late score.
The conference said it will review its end-of-game officiating process after the incident, a step that may matter less to the Irish than the result already does. In a tight game, one second is more than a technicality, and the acknowledgment only adds to the frustration over how it ended. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Just Got A Painful Reminder About Its Biggest Problem
Notre Dame got a stark reminder in Provo that the margin for error remains slim, even when the offense does enough to keep the game alive. At LaVell Edwards Stadium, the Irish spent most of the night chasing Brigham Young before briefly grabbing the lead late, only to watch the Cougars answer with under two minutes left in a 28-24 loss.
The result fit a familiar frustration for Notre Dame, which again found itself in a tight game where one stop, one clean sequence or one timely play could have changed the outcome. A significant defensive ejection added to the tension, and the late comeback bid had the kind of urgency the Irish needed, but not quite enough finish to turn it into a road win. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Freeman Addresses What Went Wrong In Notre Dame's Costly Loss
Marcus Freeman spent his postgame time going straight to the two areas that hurt Notre Dame most in a costly loss to BYU: defensive discipline and red-zone execution. The defeat snapped the Irish's 16-game winning streak, and Freeman pointed to the problems BYU's misdirection offense created while also acknowledging that Notre Dame left points on the field with missed chances near the goal line.
Freeman also noted the adjustments the Irish tried to make after halftime, but the broader concern remains the same one that follows any tight loss to a quality opponent: execution in critical moments. For Notre Dame, the answer is not about effort or intent as much as cleaning up the details that determine whether a promising drive becomes a field goal, a touchdown or nothing at all. [Read more 🡒]