BYU just pulled off a wild 28-24 home upset over No. 2 Notre Dame, but let’s be real, the game’s official “final play” was a double-dose of messed-up officiating that left everyone scratching their heads. You know how it is, sometimes the refs miss something, but tonight, it felt like they went out of their way to screw over Notre Dame not once, but twice, in a matter of seconds.
That DPI No-Call? Seriously?
First up, the obvious. On that supposed final play, with Notre Dame on first-and-goal, everyone watching, including the broadcast announcers, saw what looked like a textbook defensive pass interference. Flag should’ve been thrown, no doubt. But what happened? Nothing. Zip. Zilch. The ball hit the ground, the incomplete pass ended the play, and Notre Dame’s last gasp for a game-winning score seemed to vanish with the no-call. It was right there for everyone to see, a clear opportunity for Notre Dame to extend the drive, maybe even get another shot at the endzone. Instead, the whistle stayed quiet.
And Then the Clock Pulled a Fast One
You’d think one massive gaffe would be enough for one play, right? Nope. Here’s the truly wild part: after that incomplete pass, the clock in the end zone and the stadium clock both clearly showed ONE SECOND remaining! We’re talking about a game that was declared over, but the actual time on the field said otherwise. This wasn’t some blurry replay, both clocks were staring us in the face. Six weeks ago, there was that whole thing in Michigan where they used replay to put time back on the clock, right? So where was that effort tonight? There was zero mention on the broadcast that the game actually wasn’t over. Zero! Notre Dame should have had one last shot, one single play to try and snatch a victory. BYU was technically ahead for 59 minutes and 59 seconds, but that last second? It just disappeared.
We’ll never know what Notre Dame could have done with that extra second, that extra down, or that DPI call. But what we do know is that on Saturday night, the No. 2 team in the country got short-changed in two undeniable ways on what ended up being the defining plays of their upset loss. It’s a tough pill to swallow when a team battles all game, puts themselves in a position to win, and then the final outcome feels… well, it just feels wrong.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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