The Big 12 just dropped a bombshell, admitting its replay officials wrongly awarded No. 8 BYU a first-quarter touchdown in their narrow 27-20 win over Arizona State. This isn’t some minor missed holding call; this was a seven-point swing in a game Arizona State lost by exactly seven, and the conference only ‘fessed up after the final whistle. Talk about insult to injury!
The Phantom Touchdown That Shifted Everything
Picture this: first quarter, BYU’s got the ball on second-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier dives on a sneak, fumbles the rock, and is initially ruled down. But then, replay steps in. They say the ball came out before his forward progress was stopped. Running back Sione Moa scoops it up at the 2-yard line and somehow, magically, he’s credited with a touchdown. BYU goes up 7-0. If you were watching, Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham was absolutely irate on the sideline, and for good reason. Even Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira, who usually plays it straight, sided with Dillingham during the broadcast. Pereira pointed out this wasn’t a “continuing action” play, arguing, “The ruling on the field was the runner was down initially, and if that’s the case, you’ve ruled it dead. You can give a recovery, but you can’t give an advance unless we’ve come up with a new rule here, which I’m not too sure that you can really do.” Sounds like a pretty clear breakdown, right?
The Big 12’s Late Confession
Well, the Big 12 finally agreed with Dillingham and Pereira, but only after the Sun Devils had already packed up and gone home. Their official statement laid it all out: “At 11:27 in the first period of the Arizona State-BYU game, Big 12 replay officials stopped the game to review possession by BYU. The play showed that the runner lost possession of the ball prior to the forward progress spot, and the ball was recovered by another BYU player at the two-yard line and he was awarded a touchdown.” So far, so factual. But then comes the kicker, referencing Rule 12-3-3-d-2: “‘If the replay official rules that the ball was not dead, it belongs to the recovering team at the spot of the recovery and any advance is nullified.’ Replay was incorrect in awarding a score. The correct ruling should have been BYU ball for a third and goal attempt from the two-yard line.” Let that sink in. BYU *should* have had third-and-goal from the 2. Sure, they might have scored a play or two later, but that’s not the point. A touchdown awarded in error stood, directly influencing the outcome of a game decided by the exact margin of that mistake. It’s a tough pill to swallow for any team, especially when the league itself says, “Oops, our bad, but too late!”
This isn’t just about one game; it’s about the integrity of the officiating. When a conference admits such a blatant error, one that directly impacts the final score in a game decided by a single possession, it makes you wonder what else is getting missed. Arizona State fought hard, but they were up against more than just BYU. They were up against a replay booth that got it flat-out wrong.
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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