The Big 12 straight-up blew it, folks. We’re talking about officials handing No. 8 BYU a touchdown they never earned in their 27-20 win over Arizona State on Saturday. And yeah, the conference just came out and admitted the colossal mess. Seriously, they’re saying replay officials should’ve put the ball back for a third-and-goal instead of gifting BYU seven points. It’s a head-scratcher, and honestly, it’s getting harder to defend the officiating in that league.
Another Blown Call Changes Everything For BYU vs. Arizona State
Here’s how this one went down: BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier tried a QB sneak near the goal line, lost the ball, and then running back Sione Moa was credited with a fumble recovery touchdown. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. The Big 12 itself dropped a statement, citing Rule 12-3-3-d-2, which clearly states that if the ball isn’t dead and is recovered by the same team, it belongs to them at the spot of recovery, and any advance is nullified. That means the ball should have been placed at the two-yard line for a third-and-goal attempt.
Instead, Moa got his first of two touchdowns on the day. He finished with eight carries for 20 yards, while Bachmeier threw for 236 yards and a score. You gotta wonder how different that 27-20 final would’ve looked if the call was made right. Giving a top-10 team a free touchdown? That’s the kind of stuff that drives fans absolutely nuts and completely shifts games.
Seriously, The Big 12 Has A Problem And It’s Not Just One Game
And get this, it’s not an isolated incident. This isn’t just some one-off mistake that you can shrug off. The Big 12 has been in hot water for officiating errors for weeks now. Just two weeks ago, officials failed to give Notre Dame another play at the end of their 28-24 loss to BYU. CJ Carr’s pass fell incomplete with one second left, but officials missed reviewing the clock *and* a potential pass interference call. The game just ended. Can you believe it? That’s a full play, maybe a game-winning chance, just gone because of an oversight.
And a week before *that*, UCF upset BYU 39-31 in two overtimes, but only after another mind-boggling officiating blunder. UCF’s kicker Will Stone had a potential game-winning kick blocked on third down in regulation. He recovered it, his helmet got ripped off with four seconds left, and officials called for a 10-second runoff. The rule book, however, says the clock stops at the end of a blocked kick recovery, and that stoppage supersedes a runoff. If the rules were correctly applied, UCF would have had another shot at a game-winning field goal in regulation. Think about that: a game-winning kick attempt, straight-up taken away.
This ain’t just one bad call, it’s a pattern, and it’s making fans question what’s even real anymore. The Big 12 has got to get this figured out, or the integrity of these games is gonna take a serious hit. What’s next, are they gonna start just guessing on fourth down? Unbelievable.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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