EUGENE, Ore. — The Big Ten acknowledged Sunday that game officials made a crucial error when placing the football on a late two-point conversion try during the Oregon Ducks’ 17-15 loss to the UCLA Bruins on Saturday at Autzen Stadium.
With 2:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, Oregon trimmed UCLA’s lead to two points following a 44-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brock Thomas to Evan Stewart. On the ensuing two-point attempt to tie the score, Thomas scrambled near the goal line and drew a facemask personal foul against the UCLA defense.
Rather than advancing the ball half-the-distance to the goal line from the end of Thomas’ run, officials placed the football at the 1.5-yard line, measuring from the original line of scrimmage. On the replay of the try, running back Jordon Davison was stopped short of the goal line on a handoff.
Conference Confirms Rule Was Misapplied
The Big Ten addressed the miscue in a formal statement on Sunday, confirming the officiating crew failed to enforce the correct penalty procedure.
“Following the first attempt that resulted in a personal foul penalty for a facemask on the UCLA defense, the ball was spotted for the second attempt half-the-distance to the goal from the original line of scrimmage of the first attempt,” the Big Ten stated. “Per the rule, the ball should have been spotted the half-the-distance to the goal from the end of the run of the first attempt.”
The conference added that it has spoken with the officiating crew regarding the blunder and will continue to stress uniform enforcement of playing rules across the league.
Reports differed on whether Oregon head coach Dan Lanning disputed the placement at the time. Sports Illustrated reported that Lanning ran onto the field seeking answers from officials after the spot failed to match the referee’s stadium announcement. However, Ducks Wire reported that Lanning did not appear to argue the ball’s placement during the sequence.
Turnovers and Playoff Implications
Even with the officiating admission, Oregon had multiple missed opportunities to secure a victory. The Ducks struggled with ball security throughout the afternoon, committing multiple turnovers, while starting quarterback Dante Moore remained sidelined following a concussion suffered Sept. 26 against Southern California.
After the failed conversion, Oregon’s defense forced a punt to regain possession with under a minute remaining, but the Bruins recovered a fumble to secure the upset. UCLA advanced to 5-0, while Oregon dropped to 3-2 and fell out of the Associated Press poll for the first time since Lanning took over the program in 2022.
Lanning declined to point fingers at the officiating crew during his postgame remarks, taking responsibility for the team’s performance.
“We’re fighting an uphill battle now, right? And it’s again, you can’t look 10 weeks ahead,” Lanning said, according to Sports Illustrated. “You have to look at what’s in front of us right now. We don’t control our destiny anymore, right? It’s not necessarily just up to us, but we do control how we respond.”
Oregon now faces a narrow margin for error if it hopes to contend for a College Football Playoff berth. The Ducks return to Autzen Stadium next Saturday to host the Nebraska Cornhuskers, with Moore’s status for the matchup still undetermined.
