The Big 12 conference has publicly acknowledged an officiating blunder during No. 8 BYU’s narrow 27-20 victory over Arizona State, admitting that replay officials mishandled a critical first-quarter fumble.
The controversial sequence unfolded during the opening quarter when BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier fumbled on a second-and-goal play from the Arizona State 1-yard line. Cougars running back Sione Moa recovered the loose ball at the 2-yard line and proceeded to run it into the end zone, which officials initially signaled as a touchdown.
Under college football regulations, specifically Rule 12-3-3-d-2, that advancement should have been nullified. The rule dictates that if a replay official rules a live-ball fumble occurred after a whistle, possession belongs to the recovering team precisely at the spot of the recovery, and any subsequent advance is prohibited.
Despite multiple video reviews by the officiating crew, the touchdown was allowed to stand on the field. The conference later conceded the mistake in an official statement.
Replay was incorrect in awarding a score, the Big 12 stated. The correct ruling should have been BYU ball for a third-and-goal from the 2-yard line.
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham recognized the rule in real time and argued vehemently with the officiating crew on the field. Following the seven-point defeat, Dillingham expressed his frustration while noting that the fault lay with the centralized replay command center rather than the on-field crew.
I was trying to argue that he does have the right to recover it post-whistle, but that is not a clear advancement, which means the ball should be at the 3, Dillingham said after the game. Obviously, that was not what happened. It is not the officials fault. Those officials do not have say in that. That is all back home.
The erroneous score proved vital in a tight contest decided by a single touchdown. The misapplication of the rule significantly damaged Arizona State’s upset bid against the eighth-ranked Cougars, while allowing BYU to escape an upset and potentially avoid suffering consecutive losses to unranked opponents.
