Another week, another BYU officiating controversy: ‘Officials just making up rules’

Another week, another BYU officiating controversy: 'Authorities just making up rules'.

Key points

• Originally, authorities reviewed a play and determined Bear Bachmeier fumbled at the Arizona State 1-yard line before running back Sione Moa recovered it.
• College Football Unfiltered crew offer their picks for Week 9 of the college football season.
• REQUIRED READING: College football Fraud Alert: BYU guilty, but what regarding Indiana, UCLA?
• Early in the first quarter against Arizona State on Saturday, Oct.
• BYU, on Arizona State's 1-yard line, could've scored the next play on third down.

Another week, another BYU officiating controversy: 'Authorities just making up rules'. Austin Curtright USA TODAY NETWORK. College Football Week 9 Picks.

BYU football continues to be a part of some questionable officiating decisions this season.

Early in the first quarter against Arizona State on Saturday, Oct. 31, the No. 9 Cougars were awarded a touchdown – one Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira remarked shouldn't have counted – after two separate reviews.

Originally, authorities reviewed a play and determined Bear Bachmeier fumbled at the Arizona State 1-yard line before running back Sione Moa recovered it. Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham called a timeout. It prompted authorities to look at Bachmeier's fumble again. Upon further review, they determined he broke the plane for a touchdown.

Bachmeier had initially been ruled down, with authorities afterwards advancing the ball for a touchdown.

Pereira did not agree with how the play was ruled. He remarked a touchdown shouldn't have been awarded after review, noting the ball can't be advanced forward after the play was ruled dead.

This is not the type of situation that you have when a runner steps out of bounds where you can continue in action, Pereira remarked on the broadcast. This was a player that recovered the ball and obtained up in the field of play. The ruling on the field was the runner was down initially.

"And if that's the case, you've ruled it dead. You can offer a recovery, but you can't provide an advance, unless you've come up with a new rule here. It I'm not too sure you can really do."

BYU, on Arizona State's 1-yard line, could've scored the next play on third down. Still, it appears the Sun Devils should've received another chance at stopping a Cougars touchdown.

Dillingham was visibly upset with the authorities after office-holders changed the ruling, appearing to argue the ball can't be advanced, and the play shouldn't have counted due to authorities calling the play dead.

"The fact is, Kenny's right, " Pereira remarked. "They killed the play. You can forget regarding when the whistle happened. They killed the play in the field of play and the ball was out. You can offer the recovery but not the advance."

It's the third consecutive week with a questionable officiating decision in a game feature BYU. It can't seem to escape controversy. BYU's double-overtime loss to UCF in Week 8 was riddled with officiating decisions, a week after the Cougars obtained away with a potential game-changing pass interference call on the final play of the game in their upset win over Notre Dame.

"This is three weeks in a row where we've had Big 12 officials just making up rules as they go, " Fox analyst Robert Griffin III remarked on the broadcast. SMS Facebook Twitter Email. Share your feedback to support improve our site! Share your feedback to support improve our site!

For now, another week, another BYU officiating controversy: Officials just making up rules remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.