PROVO, Utah — With four seconds left and the Irish still alive, Notre Dame had one throw left from inside the BYU 10-yard line. C.J. Carr sent it toward Jaden Greathouse in the end zone, it fell incomplete, and BYU beat No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 on Saturday night.
The chance existed with top-ranked Georgia already beaten earlier Saturday, when unranked Auburn beat Georgia.
The last snap is where the argument starts. Yahoo Sports reported “a ton of contact” in the end zone between Greathouse and cornerback Evan Johnson, with no pass interference called. Yahoo carried no explanation from the officials.
BYU needed its quarterback to do it all, and Bear Bachmeier did. He ran for two touchdowns, caught one and threw the go-ahead six-yard score to Walker Lyons with 1:47 left, Yahoo Sports reported. The Cougars played without running back LJ Martin, out with a lower-body injury.
Reports differ on where the ball sat for that final snap. Yahoo put it at the BYU 9-yard line, NBC Sports said the 4, and Bleacher Report said the 8.
Notre Dame trailed 21-10 at halftime after Carr’s spike was first ruled an incomplete pass, until officials reviewed it after a BYU timeout and ruled a fumble. The Irish then scored 14 straight to open the second half, going ahead 24-21 on Jonaz Walton’s 3-yard run with 9:31 left, before Jayden Sanders intercepted Bachmeier.
BYU also helped. A muffed punt return and a failed fake punt each gave Notre Dame a short field, Yahoo Sports reported. Bachmeier, meanwhile, caught a touchdown on a trick play, which NBC Sports said made him the only BYU quarterback with a rushing and a receiving touchdown in one game.
By NBC Sports’ count, five of the top seven teams in the AP Top 25 lost Saturday: Georgia, Indiana, Alabama, Texas and Notre Dame.
BYU coach Kalani Sitake said, “I appreciate them giving us a chance to play them,” according to NBC Sports. NBC said Miami, which beat Florida State in double overtime, will likely inherit No. 1, and Yahoo expects BYU to land in the top three with Miami and Ohio State. Ohio State beat Indiana earlier in the day.
None of the cited accounts carried a word from Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, and none said whether the Big 12 or the officials will address the final play. Was it pass interference? Nobody on the record has said.
