The No. 2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish saw their College Football Playoff path take a major hit on Saturday night, falling 28-24 to the BYU Cougars in Provo. But one former NFL referee believes the Irish were robbed of a final chance to win it.
Rules analyst Terry McAulay says there appeared to be one second left on the clock when Notre Dame’s final pass fell incomplete, and that replay officials should have reviewed the situation, which could have given the Irish one more play.
Controversial Finish in Provo
Trailing by four points in the game, Notre Dame had a first-and-goal on the final play of the game. Quarterback CJ Carr threw toward wide receiver Jaden Greathouse in the back of the end zone, but the pass fell incomplete as Greathouse appeared to be held on his way to the ground.
No flag was thrown, and the game was ruled over. On the ABC broadcast, ESPN rules analyst Matt Austin said he thought the play deserved a penalty.
“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.”
ESPN/ABC rules analyst Matt Austin on the Notre Dame-BYU finish.
(There’s also the question of the field clock, which showed 1 second remaining) https://t.co/JzKewlL57a
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 18, 2026
“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.
But the pass interference non-call wasn’t the only issue. As fans and media members dug into the replay, many noticed that the clock still showed one second remaining when the ball hit the ground.
‘ND would have had one more play’
McAulay, a former NFL referee who is now a rules analyst for CBS Sports, weighed in late Saturday night, confirming that replay officials missed a chance to correct the clock.
“As some have noted, there was indeed :01 on the bug clock when the pass hit the ground (BYU/ND). Replay should have reviewed to determine if the in-stadium clock was at :01 at that point and if so, ND would have had one more play,” McAulay wrote on X.
There’s no telling how the game would have played out if Notre Dame was given one more chance at the end zone, but they should have at least had the opportunity.
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