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Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin has accused a Texas Tech player of spitting on one of his players and possibly using a racial slur during a fourth quarter scrum in Wednesday night’s TaxAct Texas Bowl game.
Kiffin defended Ole Miss wideout Jordan Watkins after the game, claiming he was incorrectly given a personal foul penalty early on in the fourth quarter during the Rebels’ 42-25 loss to the Red Raiders.
Jordan Watkins, #11 of the Mississippi Rebels, celebrates his reception for a touchdown ahead of Marquis Waters, #9 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders, during the second half at NRG Stadium on Dec. 28, 2022 in Houston. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The veteran coach said Watkins was not in the fight that followed a fumble by Mississippi’s Dayton Wade and that the penalty should have actually been on Texas Tech's Dimitri Moore, No. 11 for the Red Raiders, instead of Watkins, who wears No. 11 for Ole Miss.
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"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.
Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin pleads his case with the officials after Ole Miss was flagged for its second targeting penalty of the game during the TaxAct Texas Bowl between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Ole Miss Rebels at NRG Stadium on Dec. 28, 2022 in Houston. (Ken Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
"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."
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Moore and Williams are both Black.
Kiffin did not say if the alleged slur was directed at any player in particular, adding that he did not specifically hear it.
"I was told that that was said in that [incident] but I did not hear that. So that would obviously be a giant issue."
Texas Tech football did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire and Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin shake hands at NRG Stadium on Dec. 28, 2022 in Houston. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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Kiffin said he spoke to Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire after the game about the call.
"I talked to their head coach afterwards, 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.’"
Wednesday night marked the seventh meeting between the two teams and their fourth bowl game. The Rebels still hold a 4-3 overall record.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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