The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl took an unexpected heated turn late in the third quarter.
With Illinois holding onto a 14–10 over South Carolina, Fighting Illini coach Bret Bielema walked onto the field to check on injured defensive back Jaheim Clarke on the field. Once Clark stood back up, Bielema held both arms out to signal for a substitution as he walked off the field. He continued to hold those arms out while staring directly at the South Carolina huddle, appearing to taunt the opposing sideline.
Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer did not appreciate that gesture. Beamer ran onto the field himself and had to be held back by assistant coaches as he shouted at Bielema.
"Shane just turned to me and said, 'You saw what he did,'" ESPN sideline reporter Quint Kessenich said on the broadcast. "[Bielema] taunted the opposing coach."
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) December 31, 2024
The gesture was likely in reference to both coaches battling back and forth with late substitutions all game long. For example, shortly after the taunt, Bielema sent three defensive players onto the field late into the play clock in response to a South Carolina substitution.
The Gamecocks had to burn a timeout, which Bielema appeared to thoroughly enjoy.
Bret Bielema is toying with South Carolina with these insanely slow substitutions pic.twitter.com/xReG3D8sDz
— Jordan Kaye (@jordankaye_23) December 31, 2024
The Fighting Illini backed up their coach's taunt, finishing off a 21–17 win over the Gamecocks to tie a program record with their 10th victory of the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as South Carolina’s Shane Beamer Charges at Illinois’s Bret Bielema Over Citrus Bowl Taunt.
