Big 12 Admits Replay Error Gave BYU a Touchdown vs Arizona State
The Big 12 said replay officials wrongly awarded BYU a touchdown on a fumble return against Arizona State, the latest in a run of officiating mistakes around the Cougars.
The Big 12 Conference said its replay crew made a mistake by awarding BYU a touchdown in the first quarter of the Cougars’ Halloween home game against Arizona State. The correct ruling, the conference said, should have been BYU ball at the 2-yard line with third down. The admission follows a separate Big 12 statement days earlier that time should have remained on the clock at the end of BYU’s upset of Notre Dame.
What happened
On the play in question, BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier tried to run in from the 1-yard line but fumbled right after the snap. Sione Moa recovered and took the ball into the end zone, and the touchdown stood after review.
The problem, according to the conference: the whistle had already blown because Bachmeier was ruled down. Once that happens, the ball cannot be advanced after a fumble. The Big 12’s statement said replay was wrong to award a score and that the correct outcome was third-and-goal from the 2.
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham argued at the time that the ball should have been spotted near the 3, and said after the game that the officials on site did not control the replay decision. “That’s all back home,” he said, according to OutKick, which reported the conference’s statement.
Why it matters
This is the second public correction from the Big 12 involving BYU in a short span. The first came after the Cougars beat then-No. 2 Notre Dame, when the conference said time remained on the clock when a final pass hit the ground and that the replay crew incorrectly cleared the play. The conference said it would review its end-of-game officiating process before the next week’s games.
There was also a disputed sequence in BYU’s double-overtime loss at UCF, where a 10-second runoff was applied after a blocked field goal even though, as rules analysts noted, the clock had also stopped for a legal kick down. BYU lost that game anyway.
The pattern suggests a broader officiating problem rather than any favoritism toward one program. The source report makes the same point: these appear to be mistakes, not a conspiracy to help BYU reach the College Football Playoff. Still, high-profile errors clustering around one team invite scrutiny of the replay system and how much influence off-site reviewers have on outcomes.
Key facts at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Game | BYU vs. Arizona State, Halloween, in Provo |
| Play | Bachmeier fumble at the 1; Moa returned it for a touchdown |
| Conference ruling | Replay was incorrect to award a score; should have been third-and-goal from the 2 |
| Prior correction | Big 12 said time remained on the clock at the end of BYU-Notre Dame |
| Next game | BYU at Utah, Salt Lake City, Saturday |
| Big 12 standings cited | Utah 5-0, BYU 4-1, Texas Tech 4-1 |
What this means for you
- If you follow the Big 12 race, expect more attention on replay decisions in close games. The conference has now publicly corrected two calls involving the same team in a matter of weeks.
- The corrections do not change results. The Notre Dame and Arizona State games stand as played, and the Big 12 has not said it will alter any outcome.
- For BYU’s playoff and conference-title chances, the standings cited by the source matter more than the officiating statements: Utah is 5-0, BYU and Texas Tech are 4-1.
- Nothing in the source indicates a formal investigation into the replay crew or any discipline. The conference said only that it would review its end-of-game process.
Frequently asked questions
Did the Big 12 say BYU should not have gotten a touchdown?
Yes. The conference said replay was incorrect in awarding a score on the first-quarter fumble return and that the correct ruling was BYU ball, third-and-goal from the 2.
Why couldn’t the fumble be advanced?
Because the whistle had blown to signal Bachmeier was down. Under the rules described in the source, the ball cannot be advanced after a fumble once that happens.
Will the result of the Arizona State game change?
No. The conference’s statement corrected the ruling but did not indicate any change to the game result.
What did the Big 12 say about the Notre Dame game?
It said time remained on the clock when the final pass hit the ground and that the replay crew incorrectly cleared the play, meaning Notre Dame should have had one more snap.
What to watch next
BYU plays at Utah on Saturday in Salt Lake City, with the Big 12 race tight at the top. How the conference’s promised review of end-of-game officiating plays out, and whether further corrections follow, is not yet known.
- The Big 12 said replay incorrectly awarded BYU a touchdown on a fumble return against Arizona State; the correct call was third-and-goal from the 2.
- It was the second Big 12 correction involving BYU in weeks, after the conference said time remained on the clock at the end of the Notre Dame game.
- BYU next plays at Utah on Saturday, with Utah 5-0 and BYU and Texas Tech 4-1 in the conference.
