Rece Davis Escalates His Demand After Controversial Notre Dame-BYU Game

Rece Davis says administrative mistakes have to end after the Big 12 admitted Notre Dame deserved one more snap from the BYU 8-yard line.

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Rece Davis has moved from warning about officiating to demanding a fix after a clock error denied No. 2 Notre Dame one final play in a 28-24 loss at No. 8 BYU on Saturday night.

The Big 12 admitted that one second remained when CJ Carr’s last pass fell incomplete in the end zone, and Davis responded on the College GameDay Podcast by telling officials that “administrative errors have to stop.”

What did Rece Davis say?

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Davis, who previewed the matchup on the podcast before kickoff, split Notre Dame’s two complaints about the final snap.

“Notre Dame should have had another second. They also should have had pass interference called,” Davis said. “I said on the podcast last week, I’m not going to go crazy over judgment calls like pass interference. I will go crazy over seconds on the clock. Administrative errors have to stop. The stripes have to clean it up. The game’s too good.”

The rulebook lets replay officials restore time when the clock expires too early, so the missing second was fixable on the spot. The non-call on BYU cornerback Evan Johnson was a judgment call, though ESPN/ABC rules analyst Matt Austin said he “would’ve supported a DPI.”

Big 12 admits clock error

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Notre Dame had first-and-goal at the BYU 8-yard line with four seconds left when Carr threw to Jaden Greathouse. Replay showed one second on the clock when the ball hit the ground.

The Big 12, which officiated the game because Notre Dame is independent, said the play was “incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew” and promised a full review of its end-of-game process before this week’s games.

It’s the second high-profile clock ruling this season. The Big Ten restored one second in Week 1, and Michigan used it to beat Western Michigan on a Hail Mary.

Why does Davis oppose 24 teams?

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Davis also used the Week 7 chaos to argue against expanding the College Football Playoff, which is nearing a deal to grow to 24 teams in 2027.

“I know a lot of people are going to say, ‘See? See, Rece Davis ... you’re wrong. This is why you need 24,’” Davis said. “I would argue this is perfect evidence to show why you don’t. ... We need the chaos to have lasting impact.”

The current format keeps the pressure on Notre Dame. Miami visits Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 7, and Dan Wetzel called it “a straight elimination game.” Davis added that a similar loss to Miami would leave the Irish without “anything approximating Texas’ wins,” though Notre Dame still earns a guaranteed playoff berth if it’s ranked in the top 12.