Overview
- On Oct. 31 BYU was awarded a first-quarter touchdown after a goal-line fumble by Bear Bachmeier was recovered and advanced by teammate Sione Moa, a decision that stood in BYU’s 27-20 win.
- The Big 12 said late Nov. 1 that its replay officials were incorrect and that the correct ruling under Rule 12-3-3-d-2 would have placed the ball at the two-yard line for third-and-goal rather than a touchdown.
- Rule 12-3-3-d-2 says when replay finds the ball was not dead the recovering team gets the ball at the spot of recovery and any subsequent advance is nullified, which is the specific rule the conference cited.
- Television rules analysts including Mike Pereira and Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham publicly criticized the replay outcome during and after the game, and broadcasters have linked this call to two other recent Big 12 replay or clock errors involving BYU.
- Because the admitted error accounted for a seven-point score that matched the final margin, the conference’s admission raises questions about competitive impact and increases pressure for changes to the Big 12 Replay Operations Center and officiating protocols.