BYU has benefited from a run of contentious officiating decisions in recent weeks, including several that went in the Cougars’ favor.
The first came in a home game against then-No. 2 Notre Dame. BYU took a 28-24 lead when quarterback Bear Bachmeier connected with tight end Walker Lyons with 1:47 left. Notre Dame drove to the Cougars’ 8-yard line and, with four seconds remaining, C.J. Carr threw an incomplete pass. The apparent end of the game sent fans onto the field.
But a replay of the final play showed one second still on the stadium clock when the ball hit the ground. The Big 12 later agreed Notre Dame should have had another play, saying the replay crew had incorrectly ended the game. The conference said it would review its end-of-game officiating procedures.
BYU might have stopped Notre Dame on a final attempt, but the error still gave the Cougars an advantage. A week later, another disputed decision came in their game at UCF.
The score was tied 24-24 with 11 seconds left when UCF attempted a field goal on third down. Will Stone’s kick was blocked before crossing the line of scrimmage, and he recovered the ball. As Stone was tackled, his helmet came off. Officials initially flagged BYU for a facemask, then picked up the flag and applied a 10-second runoff.
That runoff was not appropriate, according to rules analysts. It applies when a helmet coming off causes the clock to stop. In this case, the clock also stopped because of the kick, so UCF should have had another chance to attempt a game-winning field goal.
The game went to overtime instead. BYU eventually lost in double overtime, after a roughing-the-kicker penalty on Kendall Wall gave UCF a first-and-goal following a field goal that had put the Knights ahead 34-31. UCF scored a touchdown and converted the two-point attempt. BYU had four chances from the 4-yard line but could not score. It’s possible the game would have ended differently if the late-game rules had been applied correctly.
Then, in BYU’s Halloween game against Arizona State, another officiating error went the Cougars’ way, this time in the first quarter.
Bachmeier fumbled while attempting to run the ball in from the 1-yard line. Sione Moa recovered it and carried it into the end zone. Replay review confirmed the fumble and the recovery, but officials had already blown the whistle to rule Bachmeier down. Under the rules, the ball could not be advanced after that whistle. The touchdown should not have counted.
The Big 12 acknowledged the mistake, saying the correct ruling was BYU ball at the 2-yard line for third-and-goal. BYU could still have scored from there, of course, but the call awarded the Cougars a touchdown that should have been taken off the board.
Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham was frustrated by the decision. He said he had argued that a recovery after the whistle did not amount to a clear advancement, and that the ball should have been placed at the 3-yard line. He added that the officials on the field were not responsible for the replay decision.
There is no clear reason to think the mistakes reflect anything other than errors. Still, three high-profile decisions involving the same team have added to concerns about officiating in college football and how much it can affect a game. BYU supporters, for their part, can point to calls they believe have gone against the Cougars.
Over a full season, questionable calls may balance out. But a cluster of prominent mistakes around one program is hard to ignore.
BYU’s next test is a rivalry game against Utah in Salt Lake City. The No. 3 Utes are 5-0 in Big 12 play, while No. 7 BYU and Texas Tech are each 4-1. The result could matter greatly in the conference title race and the College Football Playoff picture.
After the recent run of controversial calls, the teams will be hoping the officials stay out of the conversation.
