Big 12 acknowledges officiating mistake in BYU win over Arizona State

The Big 12 acknowledged that its officiating crew erred during replay review, resulting in a touchdown awarded to then-No. 8 BYU in its 27‑20 win over Arizona State on Saturday.

In the opening quarter, BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier attempted a run from the one‑yard line, but the ball was fumbled. His teammate Sione Moa recovered the loose ball and ran it into the end zone for a touchdown.

Bachmeier was initially ruled down before reaching the goal line. A subsequent replay review concluded that he had fumbled, and a second review confirmed that Moa had scored.

The mistake stemmed from a rule that prohibited advancing the ball after a whistle was blown, and the original on‑field call ruled that Bachmeier was down.

‘Replay was incorrect in awarding a score,’ a Big 12 statement said, referencing Rule 12‑3‑3‑d‑2. ‘The proper ruling should have been BYU ball with a third‑and‑goal from the 2‑yard line.’

Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham voiced his dissatisfaction with the call immediately after the play and reiterated his concerns during post‑game interviews.

‘I was trying to argue that he had the right to recover the ball after the whistle, but that’s not a clear advancement, so the ball should be at the three,’ Dillingham said. ‘Obviously, that didn’t happen. It’s not the officials’ fault; they have no control over that decision. That’s all decided back home.’

BYU (7‑1 overall, 4‑1 in the Big 12) and currently ranked No. 7 has both benefited from and been hurt by questionable officiating over the past three weeks.

In BYU’s 28‑24 victory over Notre Dame, a pass‑interference penalty could have been called on the final play, which occurred only because an additional second drained from the clock.

The Cougars’ later 39‑31 double‑overtime defeat at UCF included an unusual 10‑second run‑off after a helmet was removed and a questionable running‑into‑the‑kicker call.

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