Big 12 admits incorrectly awarding BYU a 1st quarter TD vs. ASU

The Big 12 acknowledged an incorrect call that was made that awarded BYU a first-quarter touchdown against Arizona State on Saturday.

Less than five minutes into the game, BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier attempted to run up the middle on second-and-goal from the one-yard line before fumbling the ball, and running back Sione Moa recovered it for a score.

Officials initially called the play dead and ruled Bachmeier down with forward progress at the one-yard line. The play was then reviewed, and it was ruled that Bachmeier fumbled the ball before his forward progress was stopped. Moa recovered the fumble, and officials ruled it third-and-goal from the 1-yard line. After a second review, it was ruled Moa advanced to the end zone after recovering the fumble, and BYU was awarded a touchdown.

Following the game, the Big 12 put out a statement saying BYU shouldn’t have been awarded the touchdown and that it should have been third-and-goal from the two-yard line.

“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. Rule 12-3-3-d-2 states, ‘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,'” the Big 12 stated.

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham expressed his disappointment with the call postgame and said he thought there wasn’t clear advancement on the play.

“Needing a double review, I would think that’s not a clear and imminent advancement if you have to review it twice. But after the second review, they called it a clear advancement of the ball; I was trying to argue he does have the right to recover it post-whistle, but that’s not a clear advancement, which means the ball should be on the three. Obviously, that wasn’t what happened. It’s not the officials’ fault. Those officials don’t have say in that. That’s all back home,” Dillingham said.

BYU beat Arizona State 27-20 in a game in which Sun Devil freshman quarterback Jake Fette made his first college start.

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