Big 12 Conference admits officials got call wrong that benefited BYU Cougars in win over Arizona State
The Big 12 Conference said officials made an incorrect call on a first-quarter play in BYU’s win over Arizona State, allowing the Cougars to score a touchdown. The admission adds to scrutiny of officiating in BYU games after disputed decisions in two recent matches.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier fumbled near the goal line, and Sione Moa recovered the ball and carried it into the end zone. Replay confirmed the fumble and touchdown, but the article says an earlier whistle should have stopped the play. It also recounts a clock error in BYU’s win over Notre Dame and disputed rulings during the Cougars’ overtime loss to UCF.
In short
- The Big 12 acknowledged an officiating error in BYU’s win over Arizona State.
- A whistle should have stopped the play before Sione Moa scored.
- The admission follows disputed calls in BYU’s previous two games.
Explained simply
The Big 12 is a US college sports conference whose member universities compete in American football. BYU and Arizona State are both members, and their games are overseen by officials applying the sport’s rules.
In American football, a fumble happens when a player loses control of the ball before the play has ended; either team may recover it. Officials use whistles to signal that a play is over, so when the whistle is blown can affect whether a recovery and score count.
Officiating decisions can shape the result of a game and prompt questions about how consistently the rules are applied. Recent disputed calls in BYU games have drawn attention to the conference’s review of its officials.