A former NFL referee has confirmed that officials made a critical mistake during Saturday night’s game between Notre Dame and BYU. The No. 2 Fighting Irish lost 28-24 in Provo, but the final play was marred by a clock error and a missed penalty. To award Notre Dame an additional play, rules analyst Terry McAulay said replay officials needed to review the situation. This error changed the outcome of a game where the Irish needed a win to keep their College Football Playoff path clear.
The controversy centers on two specific failures by the crew on the field. First, the stadium clock showed one second remaining when the final pass hit the ground, yet the game was ruled over. Second, a potential defensive pass interference call was ignored despite heavy contact in the end zone. ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin told viewers on the ABC broadcast that the play deserved a flag. “I think it warranted a flag. That’s a lot of contact where you’re not playing the ball… I would’ve supported a DPI,” Austin said, via Awful Announcing, according to Yahoo Sports. The lack of a flag and the clock error combined to deny Notre Dame a chance to win.
The Clock Error That Should Have Been Fixed
Confirming the error, Terry McAulay, who is a former NFL referee currently with NBC Sports, spoke out late Saturday night. He noted that the replay officials missed a clear opportunity to correct the time. “As some have noted, there was indeed :01 on the bug clock when the pass hit the ground (BYU/ND),” McAulay wrote on X. He argued that replay should have reviewed the in-stadium clock to see if it was at one second. If the clock was indeed at one second, Notre Dame would have had one more play to attempt a touchdown or field goal. This single missed review could have altered the final score of the 28-24 loss.
The missed call on the field compounded the clock issue. Jaden Greathouse received a pass from Quarterback CJ Carr in the back of the end zone, yet the ball fell incomplete. Greathouse appeared to be held by a Cougars defender as he went to the ground. BYU coach Kalani Sitake praised his team’s pressure on the play. “They wanted some pressure, we gave it to him, it worked out for us,” Sitake said, according to Yahoo Sports. While the pressure was real, the officials failed to see the contact that would have extended the drive. The game ended with the ball on the turf, leaving no time for a replay review to fix the clock.
The loss drops Notre Dame to a 28-24 defeat and removes them from the second spot in the rankings. They now look toward a primetime matchup on NBC against Miami on the first Saturday in November. The margin for error is gone. A single missed call and a clock glitch have forced the team to fight for every remaining point. The path to the playoff is now much harder than it was before Saturday night.
BYU remains unbeaten at 7-0 after this win. The Cougars scored 28 points while holding off a late Irish rally. Bear Bachmeier led the offense with two rushing touchdowns, one passing touchdown, and one receiving touchdown. The victory puts BYU in line for a top-five ranking in the US LBM Coaches Poll. They now face a showdown with rival Utah on November 7. For Notre Dame, the focus shifts to fixing mistakes before their next game, as the clock and the officials may not offer another second chance.
