The Big 12 acknowledged an officiating error in No. 8 BYU‘s 27-20 win over Arizona State on Saturday that incorrectly awarded the Cougars a first-quarter touchdown.
On BYU’s first offensive possession, quarterback Bear Bachmeier attempted a run up the middle on second-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Bachmeier fumbled the ball, but BYU running back Sione Moa picked it up and ran it in for a touchdown.
In a statement after the game, the Big 12 said the play should have been stopped at the 2-yard line, where Moa recovered the fumble. The conference cited Rule 12-3-3-d-2, which states the ball “belongs to the recovering team at the spot of the recovery and any advance is nullified” if the ball is not dead.
“Replay was incorrect in awarding a score,” the Big 12 said. “The correct ruling should have been BYU ball for a third-and-goal from the 2-yard line.”
Officials initially whistled the play dead and ruled Bachmeier was down with forward progress at the 1-yard line. They reviewed the play and determined that Bachmeier fumbled and BYU recovered at the 1-yard line.
The play was then reviewed a second time, and the Big 12’s replay operations center in Irving, Texas, concluded that the play should be overturned to a touchdown.
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham argued with officials that the ball couldn’t be advanced and voiced his disappointment about the decision from the Big 12’s replay operations center after the loss.
“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.”
The first-quarter error marks the third consecutive week that a BYU game has featured questionable officiating decisions. After the Cougars’ 28-24 victory over Notre Dame on Oct. 17, the Big 12 said that one more second should have been put back on the clock, and that would have given the Fighting Irish one final play to win.
BYU’s 39-31 double-overtime road loss at UCF last Saturday went to overtime after the Cougars blocked a 47-yard field goal attempt on a third down. UCF kicker Will Stone recovered the ball and would have had a chance for a second attempt at a winning kick, but officials determined that Stone’s helmet coming off during the play triggered a 10-second runoff.
