Big Ten admits wrong ball spot on Oregon’s late two-point try against UCLA

The Big Ten acknowledged Sunday that officials incorrectly spotted the ball before Oregon’s final two-point conversion attempt in Saturday’s 17-15 loss to UCLA.

The error came with 2:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, after Oregon had scored a touchdown and received another chance at the conversion because of a defensive facemask penalty. The conference said officials used the wrong reference point when enforcing the penalty before the second attempt.

Oregon had trailed 17-9 before a 44-yard touchdown pass to Evan Stewart brought the Ducks within two points. The first conversion attempt was a run, and UCLA was flagged for a personal foul facemask. That penalty gave Oregon a second opportunity to tie the game.

According to the Big Ten’s statement, officials enforced half the distance to the goal from the original line of scrimmage for the first try. The correct enforcement point was the end of that first run. Both procedures enforce half the distance, but they begin from different places. The conference identified the end of the run as the required reference point without giving a numerical yard line in its statement.

The conference posted its explanation Sunday afternoon.

Jordon Davison was stopped short on the second attempt, leaving UCLA ahead by two. The officiating admission concerns the placement before that run. It does not establish that Oregon would have converted from the correct spot, and the statement provides no basis for treating a successful conversion as certain.

The Big Ten said it had contacted the game’s officiating crew about the error and would continue emphasizing consistent application of the rules. Its published explanation did not name an official or specify a disciplinary action.

The sequence separated two decisions that can look similar during a live broadcast: recognizing the facemask and enforcing the resulting penalty. UCLA’s foul was called, but the conference said the ensuing placement was wrong. Oregon therefore received another try without receiving the field position that the rule required.

Sources

Official officiating explanation · ESPN: Officials spotted ball incorrectly on Oregon conversion