College Football Officials Face Heat for 'Making Up Rules' in BYU Game
College football officials were under fire yet again for a controversial decision in a Big 12 game with BYU being the beneficiary.
For the third consecutive week, Big 12 officials have come under scrutiny for making up rules during a BYU game. This time, officials failed to put a second back on the clock at the conclusion of BYU's victory over Notre Dame. Preceding this incident, officials made questionable calls before UCF defeated BYU. On Saturday, officials ruled a play dead after BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier fumbled near the goal line, only to later award a touchdown to BYU running back Sione Moa, sparking controversy and confusion.
This decision allowed BYU to take an early 7-0 lead against Arizona State Sun Devils at LaVell Edwards Stadium. The officials' actions left many questioning why they permitted the runner to advance after the play was called dead for forward progress. Robert Griffin III noted on Fox that this marks the third week of officials seemingly creating rules as they go.
Terry McAulay, a former NFL official and NBC rules analyst, expressed his disagreement with the ruling, deeming it a "stunning rules error." McAulay emphasized that the rules only permit the ball to be awarded to the recovering player, with no subsequent advance post-review. This incident highlights the challenges the Big 12 faces in adhering to college football's rules.
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