The Big 12 Conference has acknowledged a problem with the ending of BYU’s biggest win of the season, and it involves an opportunity Notre Dame never received.
No. 8 BYU celebrated a 28-24 upset of No. 2 Notre Dame on Saturday night after quarterback CJ Carr’s last pass fell incomplete in the end zone. Fans poured onto the field at LaVell Edwards Stadium, seemingly putting an end to a memorable night in Provo.
But the game apparently wasn’t supposed to end there. Video of the final play showed time remaining when the ball hit the turf, and the conference has since acknowledged the clock issue.
Big 12 Addresses Notre Dame-BYU Clock Controversy
The Big 12 acknowledged that “time remained on the clock” when the final pass fell incomplete, according to a conference statement reported by The Athletic’s Justin Williams.
The admission is significant because Notre Dame was trailing by four points with the ball at the BYU 8-yard line. Had officials stopped play and restored the remaining time, the Fighting Irish would have had another opportunity to throw into the end zone.
Instead, Carr’s pass toward Jaden Greathouse was ruled incomplete, the clock was allowed to expire and BYU’s victory was declared final. Notre Dame needed a touchdown, not a field goal, making even a single additional snap meaningful with the ball already inside the 10-yard line.
‘’Fox officiating analyst Mike Pereira said he spoke to the ‘Big 12 replay center’ and they told him that the ‘replay did clear’ the game to end,’’ per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
”Pereira does not agree: ‘It’s pretty obvious that there is a second left and there should have been another play for Notre Dame.’”
The clock wasn’t the only issue on the decisive play. BYU defensive back Evan Johnson made contact with Greathouse as the receiver attempted to get to the ball. No defensive pass interference penalty was called.
ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin disagreed with that decision during the ABC broadcast.
“I think it warranted a flag,” Austin said. “That’s a lot of contact where you’re not playing the ball, you’re just playing the receiver.”
Those are two separate questions. The potential pass interference was a judgment call that went against Notre Dame. The amount of time remaining was something replay officials could have examined before ending the game.
Notre Dame Missed One Last Opportunity Against BYU
Former NFL official and television rules analyst Terry McAulay also questioned why the final play wasn’t reviewed for time.
Writing on X, McAulay pointed out that the broadcast clock showed one second when the pass hit the ground. He said replay should have checked the stadium clock and, if it agreed, awarded Notre Dame one more snap.
The controversy comes after an unlikely finish to a game in which the Irish nearly completed a comeback. BYU led 21-10 at halftime, only for Notre Dame to move ahead 24-21 late in the fourth quarter.
Bear Bachmeier responded by finding Walker Lyons for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:47 remaining. Carr then took Notre Dame down the field, setting up the contested throw near the goal line.
Bachmeier finished with 224 passing yards while accounting for touchdowns as a passer, runner and receiver. BYU improved to 6-0, securing its highest-ranked victory since defeating No. 1 Miami in 1990.
The Big 12’s acknowledgment doesn’t change the recorded result, and another play wouldn’t have guaranteed Notre Dame a touchdown. It does establish that the Irish had grounds to question why the game ended when it did.
For BYU, the upset remains a major achievement. For Notre Dame, the conference’s response leaves an especially frustrating question: What might have happened with one more snap?
Big 12 Acknowledges Crucial Officiating Mistake in Notre Dame’s Loss to BYU