Kirk Herbstreit Breaks Silence on Controversial Notre Dame-BYU Ending

Getty

DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 15: Kirk Herbstreit walks the field prior to the game during a game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks at Empower Field At Mile High on October 15, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)

The No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish lost in dramatic fashion to the No. 8 BYU Cougars on Saturday night.

Notre Dame trailed 28-24 and had the ball at first-and-goal with just four seconds remaining on the clock.

Star quarterback CJ Carr threw an incomplete pass on a play that appeared to involve pass interference. However, officials called the game over without checking whether any time remained on the clock.

Big 12 Releases Statement on Final Play

Just hours after the game, the Big 12 released a statement acknowledging that officials should have put one second back on the clock after Carr’s incomplete pass. That would have given Notre Dame another opportunity to reach the end zone on second-and-goal.

“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.”

The Big 12 released a statement following its review of the ending of Notre Dame-BYU that one second should have been put back on the clock after the game’s final play, which resulted in a 28-24 BYU win, while the Irish had possession.

“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.”

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) October 18, 2026

Kirk Herbstreit Speaks on Notre Dame-BYU Game

Kirk Herbstreit, who called the game alongside Chris Fowler for ESPN on ABC, shared his thoughts on the finish and BYU’s impressive performance on social media Sunday afternoon.

“Another week, another wild finish! A lot of talk about the ending, but let’s not lose sight of what BYU did to put themselves in position to win this ballgame,” Herbstreit said. “Tremendous effort by the Cougars to find a way to get it done. And of course don’t count Notre Dame out… Still a lot of football left to be played!”

Herbstreit’s takes on Notre Dame haven’t been well received by the fanbase, especially after he recently criticized the team’s schedule. However, he picked the Fighting Irish as his preseason national champion and has stood by that prediction.