Big 12 says replay error gave BYU touchdown against ASU

The Big 12 said replay officials incorrectly awarded BYU a touchdown after a fumble recovery in the Cougars’ win over Arizona State, ruling that BYU should instead have had the ball at the 2-yard line, third-and-goal. The disputed play came in the first quarter, with BYU at the Arizona State 1-yard line. Quarterback Bear Bachmeier lost the ball on a sneak, and running back Sione Moa recovered it. Officials initially ruled the play dead after determining Bachmeier’s forward progress had stopped. After replay review, they credited Moa with a touchdown, giving BYU a 7-0 lead. In a statement after the game, the Big 12 said replay officials were wrong to award the score. The conference said the applicable rule required the ball to go to the recovering team at the spot of recovery, with any advance nullified. It said the correct ruling was BYU ball at the 2-yard line for third-and-goal. The touchdown was worth seven points, and BYU won 27-20. The conference’s correction establishes that the score should not have counted under its interpretation of the rule, but it does not establish how the remainder of the game would have unfolded if the play had been ruled correctly. The result...