Why linebacker Bangally Kamara was ejected for targeting — and how KU reacted
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas linebacker Bangally Kamara was ejected for targeting vs. Cincinnati.
- Coach Lance Leipold criticized targeting review process and call inconsistency.
- Kamara will miss the first half vs. UCF; he's recorded 19 tackles this season.
For the second straight week, a Kansas football player was ejected for targeting.
This time, Kansas linebacker Bangally Kamara was the player ejected — during a frustrating loss to Cincinnati on Saturday.
Kamara hit Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby after an incompletion. Kamara led with the crown of his helmet and hit Sorsby in the head. Sorsby was not knocked to the ground, but he immediately grabbed his helmet and turned to the official.
The flag was not thrown on the field, but the play went to a review shortly after. After the review, targeting was called and Kamara was ejected. He will miss the first half of KU’s game against UCF next week.
Kansas coach Lance Leipold was frustrated with some aspects of the call.
“The interpretation for me is — I don’t know if this gets me fined or not — … they said head and neck area, but shoot, you can see that on a lot of hits in the pocket,” Leipold said. “... So, I don’t know. It was unfortunate.”
Leipold continued: “Obviously, it wasn’t called on the field, it was called from up above.”
After the initial ruling, Kamara was demonstrably upset on the sideline. He spiked his helmet into the turf.
“I really thought that we had gotten into a lot better spot calling targeting,” Leipold continued postgame. “Now it seems we’ve kind of reverted ... to being a lot more frequent than what it was a year or so ago.”
Kamara’s absence will be significant. The starting linebacker and South Carolina transfer has 19 tackles, including 11 solo, on the season. He also has 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble. He had three tackles, including one for loss, vs. the Bearcats.
Last week, KU safety Devin Dye was ejected for a targeting call. He missed the first half of Saturday’s game.
