Big 12 Conference admits officiating error in BYU-Notre Dame finish
Oct 18, 2026, 3:06 AM
PROVO — BYU football defeated Notre Dame on Saturday night at LaVell Edwards Stadium on a defensive stand. But there should have been one more play.
Instant replay during the TV broadcast showed one more second on the clock when Notre Dame QB CJ Carr’s pass hit the turf. Instead, it was game over with BYU winning 28-24 over Notre Dame, ending the Irish’ 16-game winning streak.
BYU WINS IT pic.twitter.com/o1BwQf4mdm
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) October 18, 2026
Big 12 Conference said “time remained on the clock”
The Big 12 Conference issued a statement that confirmed there should have been one more second on the clock.
“Following the Big 12’s review of the final play of Saturday’s Notre Dame-BYU game, it was determined that time remained on the clock when the ball hit the ground, and the play was incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew. The Conference will conduct a complete review of its end-of-game officiating process in advance of next week’s games.”
On that incomplete pass, which ended up being the final play of the game, it was a 1st & Goal from the 9-yard line. That would have given Notre Dame one more play on 2nd & Goal, rather than their first loss of the season.
There was also debate during the ABC broadcast over whether BYU cornerback Evan Johnson interfered with Notre Dame wide receiver Jaden Greathouse. Saturday Night Football rules analyst Matt Austin, who was in Provo for the broadcast, said he would have supported a DPI flag with the amount of contact.
BYU improves to 6-0 after the victory.
The Cougars and Irish are scheduled to meet in South Bend in 2027.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
