BYU knocked off Notre Dame in a dramatic college football upset, but the game's final moments have ignited a fresh clock controversy. The Fighting Irish, ranked No. 2 and hoping to claim the top spot after Georgia's loss, fell to the unbeaten No. 8 Cougars — and social media is questioning whether the game actually ended when officials said it did.
The trouble began on the game's final play. Notre Dame had driven into position to potentially tie or win, converting a fourth-down pass with four seconds left. The Irish got one last snap, but there was contact on the play and no penalty was called. The field was stormed and both teams had left for the locker room before the disputed sequence began circulating online, with fans and analysts suggesting the clock may have expired before the final snap or that a flag should have been thrown.
Notre Dame's path to the top ranking was already complicated before kickoff. With Georgia losing at home to Auburn, the Irish could have moved up with a win. Instead, they had to face BYU on the road without one of their best defensive players almost immediately. On BYU's first series, defensive lineman Boubacar Traore was flagged for targeting on a hit on quarterback Bear Bachmeier. The penalty proved costly, and the Cougars capitalized, marching downfield and scoring on a Bachmeier run to open the scoring.
Notre Dame answered with a field goal in the first quarter and took a 10-7 lead in the second when running back Nolan James Jr. found the end zone. But BYU responded with a trick play that ended with Bachmeier scoring as a receiver, then added another touchdown on the ground just before halftime to take a 21-10 lead. The Irish had a chance to cut into the deficit with nine seconds left in the half, reaching BYU's 5-yard line, but quarterback CJ Carr's attempt to spike the ball was ruled a fumble after review, costing Notre Dame points and possession.
The Irish battled back in the second half and eventually took a field-goal lead. BYU answered when Bachmeier threw his first passing touchdown of the game, finding tight end Walker Lyons with just under two minutes left to put the Cougars ahead by four. That forced Notre Dame to go for a touchdown rather than a field goal. The Irish converted a crucial fourth-and-2 to keep the drive alive, but after failing to reach the end zone, they faced fourth-and-five with ten seconds remaining. They converted with four seconds left, setting up the final play — and the controversy that followed.
The result ends Notre Dame's 16-game winning streak and shakes up the rankings and College Football Playoff picture. The Irish will have a week off before facing Navy, while BYU continues its season with a visit to Orlando to take on UCF. For college football, it is another high-profile reminder that clock management and officiating decisions can overshadow the action on the field.