The No. 8 BYU Cougars played what was potentially the biggest game in program history on Saturday night against the No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
They rose to the occasion, pulling off a thrilling 28-24 upset that came down to the final play and ended with some controversy.
Notre Dame had first-and-goal with four seconds remaining when quarterback CJ Carr took a quick shot at the end zone. The Fighting Irish needed a touchdown to win, but the pass fell incomplete. Some believed the play should have drawn a pass interference penalty, while others thought the officials could have left one second on the clock.
However, the officials didn’t throw a flag, and the clock hit triple zeros, effectively ending the game. Cougar fans stormed the field almost immediately.
Check it out:
Big 12 Releases Statement on Final Play
Not long after the game went final, the Big 12 released a statement on the final play, revealing that one second should have remained on the clock.
“Following the Big 12’s review of the final play of Saturday’s Notre Dame-BYU game, it was determined that time remained on the clock when the ball hit the ground and the play was incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew,” the Big 12’s statement read. “The Conference will conduct a complete review of its end-of-game officiating process in advance of next week’s games.”
NEW: The Big 12 has announced that one second should have been added back to the clock in BYU’s win over Notre Dame:
“Following the Big 12’s review of the final play of Saturday’s Notre Dame-BYU game, it was determined that time remained on the clock when the ball hit the ground and the play was incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew. The Conference will conduct a complete review of its end-of-game officiating process in advance of next week’s games.”
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— On3 (@On3) October 18, 2026
BYU Likely Facing Punishment
While it would be worth every penny for the university, BYU could face a $50,000 fine from the Big 12 for storming the field after the win, as the conference has consistently enforced rules against field storming.
However, unlike the SEC, the Big 12 has more flexibility in how it handles field-storming incidents. The decision often depends on whether the opposing team’s players and coaches had a safe route off the field. Considering fans stormed the field almost immediately after the game, it’s difficult to determine whether Notre Dame had a safe exit.
The SEC takes a stricter approach, typically issuing a $50,000 fine whenever a team’s fans storm the field after a big win. The policy is intended to protect players and coaches following past incidents.
BYU Facing Potential Punishment After Massive Upset Win Over Notre Dame