The Kansas head coach, Lance Leipold, communicated that a folding knife was propelled from the spectator area at Jones AT&T Stadium and made contact with a staff member from KU during Texas Tech’s defeat of the Jayhawks on Saturday evening.
Leipold stated that the knife was launched during the third quarter of Tech’s 42-17 victory. Texas Tech supporters received two warnings for tossing tortillas onto the playing field during kickoff plays. This was a consequence of the Big 12’s recent regulation addressing projectiles. He did not indicate whether or not the staffer experienced physical harm during the situation.
“It’s intended for protection and comparable matters, yet it’s a custom that has been tolerated to a degree without reform. Ultimately, an individual will experience significant injury, regrettably,” Leipold mentioned.
The Lawrence Journal-World quoted a KU representative who clarified that the second penalty for throwing items on Texas Tech’s side “was a direct outcome of the thrown folding knife, which he labeled as a Swiss Army-type knife.” Tech received the second penalty of the match in the fourth quarter.
Texas Tech’s tortilla custom has created some tension with the Big 12’s new initiatives. Institutions are issued a warning before penalties are enforced if objects are thrown from the stands. During his post-game press conference, Leipold expressed that the scenarios were managed “quite inadequately.”
The tortilla custom has been a tradition for numerous decades at Texas Tech, which started after a group of students were searching for a distinctive method to celebrate. Coach Joey McGuire dedicated the days before the KU game explaining that his team may be penalized if tortillas continue to be thrown on multiple instances against the Jayhawks.
Until Saturday, Tech had avoided any penalties for tortilla-throwing in 2025. However, the first penalty occurred during the first half as Kansas lessened an early three-score Texas Tech advantage to a four-point difference by halftime.
“We have a two-week period to establish a more refined strategy and emphasize what the rule entails,” McGuire noted following the game, as reported by the AP. “Since it will have consequences for us. The first instance almost did because the game’s dynamics were slightly more tense than anticipated. But it will eventually catch up with us.”
Tech once again needed to rely on two quarterbacks against the Jayhawks because Behren Morton sustained a lower-leg injury and couldn’t return to the field. Morton was removed from the Red Raiders’ triumph at Utah in September and was substituted by Will Hammond.
Hammond also filled in for Morton on Saturday night and rushed for two touchdowns during the second half. RB Cameron Dickey ran 21 times, accumulating 263 yards and two touchdowns, as Tech rushed the ball 40 times, obtaining 372 yards. Kansas gained a total of 245 offensive yards across 77 plays.
