Texas Tech Player Denies Racial Slur That Lane Kiffin Accused Him Of Saying, Red Raiders Coach Chimes In

Not so fast, Lane Kiffin.

Texas Tech linebacker Dimitri Moore came out strong and swift with his reaction Thursday to what Kiffin said about him Wednesday night after Texas Tech's 42-25 win over the Rebels in the Texas Bowl.

The often controversial Rebels' coach said that Moore made a racial comment to Ole Miss offensive lineman Jayden Williams and spit on him late in the game.

“There was a racial slur involved," Kiffin said. "I brought (it) up to the officials, 'You see him crying? He's not crying because he got spit on. It's because something was said.'"

Moore, a senior from Cedar Hill, Texas, released a statement via Texas Tech.

"I can't state strongly enough that these accusations are false," Moore said. "It is disappointing to have my final game as a student-athlete overshadowed by the false accusations that were stated last night."

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire also made a statement in the release.

"We are disappointed an opposing head coach decided to insinuate serious allegations that are false and irresponsible," he said. "I have discussed these allegations with Dimitri Moore, and he disputed the two claims that were brought forth against him."

Kiffin suffered his team's fourth straight loss and fifth in six games to finish 8-5. Texas Tech won its fourth straight to finish 8-5.

"Since I have arrived at Texas Tech, I have strived to represent my teammates, this coaching staff and, most importantly, my family in the highest manner," Moore said. "It has been an honor to represent this program as we closed our season with a great team victory."

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Guilbeau joined OutKick as an SEC columnist in September of 2021 after covering LSU and the Saints for 17 years at USA TODAY Louisiana. He has been a national columnist/feature writer since the summer of 2022, covering college football, basketball and baseball with some NFL, NBA, MLB, TV and Movies and general assignment, including hot dog taste tests. A New Orleans native and Mizzou graduate, he has consistently won Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) awards since covering Alabama and Auburn at the Mobile Press-Register (1993-98) and LSU and the Saints at the Baton Rouge Advocate (1998-2004). In 2021, Guilbeau won an FWAA 1st for a game feature, placed in APSE Beat Writing, Breaking News and Explanatory, and won Beat Writer of the Year from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA). He won an FWAA columnist 1st in 2017 and was FWAA's top overall winner in 2016 with 1st in game story, 2nd in columns, and features honorable mention. Guilbeau completed a book in 2022 about LSU's five-time national champion coach - "Everything Matters In Baseball: The Skip Bertman Story" - that is available at www.acadianhouse.com, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble outlets. He lives in Baton Rouge with his wife, the former Michelle Millhollon of Thibodaux who previously covered politics for the Baton Rouge Advocate and is a communications director.