It appears Kansas State will have to settle for a mea culpa.
In the second half of last Saturday’s game, Texas cornerback Jalen Green (pictured) leveled K-State wide receiver Wykeen Gill (not pictured) on a play away from the ball and was ejected from the contest after (eventually) being flagged for targeting. The play will cost Green the first half of UT’s game this Saturday against Iowa State per NCAA targeting rules, but will likely cost Gill at least one full game as he will be sidelined for the Week 12 matchup with West Virginia as the receiver is currently in concussion protocol.
That disparity didn’t sit well with K-State’s head coach.
“It’s unfortunate because it was away from the play, didn’t have anything to do with the play, and Wykeen is probably going to miss a game,” Chris Klieman stated at his weekly press conference Tuesday. “When you have a hit like that and somebody only misses a half, I don’t think that’s very fair.”
Wednesday afternoon, Green issued an apology in which he stated, in part, that he “realize[s] how it may have looked” but “I do want everyone to know I was not trying to take a cheap shot.”
Statement from Texas CB Jalen Green on his targeting penalty during Kansas State game. pic.twitter.com/WoxpXSVRZL
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) November 13, 2019
As for “not trying to take a cheap shot,” you be the judge.
Here's the hit in question. Wykeen Gill not expecting it at all and Jalen Green lays down a really dirty, cheap shot. #KStateFB pic.twitter.com/iNPLMeNsnT
— Mitchel Summers (@MitchSummersTV) November 9, 2019