Big 12 Confirms BYU Score Was Incorrect in Loss to Arizona State
The conference cited a specific rule regarding fumble recovery spots, marking the third week in a row that officiating errors affected a BYU game.
By Fatima Saleh ·
The Big 12 Conference officially confirmed Saturday that a first-quarter touchdown awarded to No. 8 BYU during its 27-20 victory over Arizona State was incorrect.
The error occurred on the Cougars' first offensive possession when quarterback Bear Bachmeier attempted a run from the 1-yard line. Bachmeier fumbled, and running back Sione Moa recovered the ball to score. The conference stated that Moa actually picked up the ball at the 2-yard line, not the 1-yard line where officials originally ruled the play dead.
Under Rule 12-3-3-d-2, the ball belongs to the recovering team at the exact spot of recovery. The Big 12 noted that any advance beyond that spot is nullified if the ball is not dead. Consequently, the correct ruling should have been third-and-goal for BYU from the 2-yard line, rather than a touchdown.
The decision came after two separate reviews. Initial officials whistled Bachmeier down at the 1-yard line. A first review confirmed a fumble and a recovery by BYU at the 1-yard line. A second review by the replay operations center in Irving, Texas, overturned that call to award the score, a determination the conference now admits was wrong.
This marks the third consecutive week that questionable officiating has impacted a BYU game. On Oct. 17, the conference acknowledged that a clock error cost Notre Dame a potential winning play in a 28-24 loss to the Cougars. The week before that, a 39-31 double-overtime loss at UCF was decided by a 10-second runoff triggered when kicker Will Stone's helmet came off during a blocked field goal attempt.
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham expressed frustration with the outcome but placed the responsibility on the replay center rather than the on-field officials. He argued that the ball should have been placed at the 3-yard line because the recovery did not constitute clear advancement. "It's not the officials' fault," Dillingham said. "Those officials don't have say in that. That's all back home."
Source: ESPN
