The Big 12 admitted to an officiating error that incorrectly awarded BYU a touchdown in Saturday’s 27-20 win over Arizona State. In a statement, the conference noted that a first-quarter touchdown should’ve been wiped off the board.
Four minutes into the game, BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier ran toward the goal line, but officials ruled that his forward progress stopped at the 1-yard line. Replay review overturned that initial call, determining that Bachmeier lost control of the football and BYU recovered it.
A subsequent review confirmed that running back Sione Moa recovered the loose ball and took it into the end zone for a touchdown. But Section 12-3-3-d-2 of college football’s rule book explains that if a fumble recovery is determined after review, “any advance is nullified.”
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“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 Big 12 said in a statement after the game.
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham was familiar with the rule and argued it with officials during the game. It was out of their hands, though. Replay officials are made by conference-appointed experts, not the referee on the field.
“I was trying to argue that he does have the right to recover it post-whistle, but that’s not a clear advancement, which means the ball should be at the 3,” Dillingham said. “Obviously, that wasn’t what happened. It’s not the officials’ fault. Those officials don’t have say in that. That’s all back home.”
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