Lane Kiffin Claims Texas Tech Player Spit On, May Have Said Racial Slur To Ole Miss Player During Bowl Game
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said that a Texas Tech player spit on one of his players and possibly used a racial slur during the Rebels' loss in the Texas Bowl on Wednesday night.
The alleged incident occurred in the fourth quarter after Ole Miss' Dayton Wade lost a fumble. Following the play, some pushing and shoving began and Ole Miss wide receiver Jordan Watkins was flagged for a personal foul.
During his postgame press conference, Kiffin went into detail about the Watkins personal foul penalty explaining the officials flagged the wrong player.
Watkins wears No. 11 for Ole Miss, but according to Kiffin, it was Texas Tech's No. 11, Dimitri Moore, who should have been hit with the penalty.
Kiffin went on to explain that Ole Miss linemen Jayden Williams was crying after the play, not because he was spit on, but because of what Moore allegedly said to him.
“They announce our 11, which is Jordan Watkins, who wasn’t in the fight, it was their 11 that was fighting 71 (Ole Miss lineman Jayden Williams) and everybody knew because their own coaches were yelling at the guy," Kiffin said.
“There was a racial slur involved, that’s not the point of what we’re talking about, (it's) about the spitting part. I brought our own 71 up to the officials, right or wrong, you see him crying? He’s not crying not because he got spit on, it’s because something was said.”
Kiffin was then asked to clarify if a Texas Tech player did say a racial slur, but the head coach explained that he personally didn't hear what was said therefore could not confirm what was or was not said.
"I’m going to defend our players when a kid spits on them and is accused to a national audience that it’s him," Kiffin said.
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire wasn't asked about the alleged incident after the game, but Kiffin did explain that he brought it up to him as they shook hands at the end of the game.
"I talked to their head coach afterwards, Kiffin said, he was like: ‘Crazy officiating out there.’ I go: ‘Yeah that was really bad on that one that your guy spit and our guy got the penalty.’ He was like: ‘Yeah I know.’”