The clock still had :01 remaining when officials erroneously ruled the Cougars-Irish game was over
Oct 18, 2026
at
2:56 am ET
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1 min read
While most of America was wondering whether pass interference should have been called on BYU at the end of the No. 8 Cougars’ 28-24 victory vs. No. 2 Notre Dame on Saturday, another college football officiating gaffe was hiding in plain sight if anyone took the time in the moment to look.
The Irish needed a touchdown on the game’s final play to defeat the Cougars, but CJ Carr’s heave to Jade Greathouse fell to the turf on the end zone as officials signaled the end of the game after a brief discussion and BYU fans stormed the field at Lavell Edwards Stadium.
But, the party may have started prematurely as the Big 12 admitted an officiating error there should have been :01 remaining on the clock.
According to a statement from the Big 12 releaed early Sunday morning, Notre Dame should have had a chance to run another play after the game indeed prematurely.
“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.”
Add it to the pile of clock gaffes in football during the 2026 season. In Week 1, Michigan was given an additional second to complete a Hail Mary, which they did, to rip the heart out of Western Michigan and momentarily save face from an embarrassing moment. This is much more egregious, as there is no doubt if there was time remaining.
What’s unclear is how the College Football Playoff Committee will take this into account when viewing Notre Dame or BYU’s cases later this season in how they attempt to set the field.