Big 12 Admits Key Replay Mistake on Final Play of BYU Upset Over Notre Dame

The Big 12 released a statement on a replay mistake that was made on the final play of the game

BYU linebacker Cade Uluave pressures Notre Dame QB CJ Carr | Jaren Wilkey/BYU

PROVO, UT - Notre Dame should have had one more chance to beat BYU, according to a statement released by the Big 12 Conference. On the final play between BYU and Notre Dame, CJ Carr threw a pass that fell incomplete and bounced off the end zone turf. The clock expired and the replay booth "incorrectly cleared" the play, meaning it reviewed the final play and incorrectly ruled that the game was over.

After further review later that night, the Big 12 realized its mistake. The conference released a statement late on Saturday night.

"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 statement read.

Big 12 says one second was left on the clock for Notre Dame-BYU. pic.twitter.com/GtPyEfqr8a

— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) October 18, 2026

Other angles from the stadium show the ball bouncing on the turf with 0:01 remaining

Hmmm… pic.twitter.com/cKs2tXTvmE

— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) October 18, 2026

As a result of the mistake, the conference will conduct a review of its replay protocols before next week's games. "The Conference will conduct a complete review of its end-of-game officiating process in advance of next week's games," the Big 12 said.

What Would Have Happened in Notre Dame Had One Last Play?

If one more second was added to the clock, Notre Dame would have had one final play from the BYU eight yard-line to win. CJ Carr and his wide receivers had struggled to connect in the end zone up to that point in the game, but perhaps one more chance would have altered the outcome.

For BYU, the controversial ending is unfortunate. BYU controlled the Irish for the majority of the game until some self-inflicted mistakes turned the momentum in Notre Dame's favor.

The controversy has, at least somewhat, overshadowed what BYU did to put itself in a position to win in the first place. Instead of the conversation centering around BYU, its signature win, and how it positions the Big 12 in the College Football Playoff race, the BYU-Notre Dame ending is being wrapped up into a broader national conversation about college football referees.

The college football season began in controversy when a mysterious extra second was added at the end of the Michigan-Western Michigan game. The extra second allowed Michigan to complete a game-winning Hail Mary on the final play.

The referee controversy has continued in the last few weeks. Most notably, referees missed an egregious pass interference call against Georgia in the closing minutes of the Georgia-Alabama game.

Referee controversy aside, BYU was the better team than Notre Dame on Saturday night. The Cougars looked like the better, more complete team. A replay controversy shouldn't take away from what BYU accomplished.

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