Illinois' 21-17 win over South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl -- a historic marker for the Fighting Illini, who for the first time since 2001 eclipsed 10 wins in season -- was overshadowed by a bizarre feud between two of college football's most colorful head coaches.
Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer had to be held back by team staff members after Illinois coach Bret Bielema taunted the Gamecocks during the third quarter when he walked across the field to check on injured Illini defensive back Jaheim Clarke. Bielema then held up his arms in an apparent signaling of substitution, which caused Beamer to run onto the field incensed. Beamer had to be held back and could be seen telling the game's sideline reporter, "you saw what he did."
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Most everybody watching at home was confused for a few reasons: What sparked Bielema's angst, what his gesture really meant, and why in the world it elicited such fury from Beamer?
Below are snippets of what the coaches told reporters postgame about the incident.
South Carolina's Shane Beamer
On what may have sparked the incident:
"I think his issue was when we threw the throw-back kickoff return, our kickoff returner did this, which most teams that's a signal that it's a touchback and we're not going to return the kick. You're allowed to do that as long as you don't do a waving motion. It's no different than on a punt. If the punt returner comes pointing to the ball that's bouncing on the ground, he's allowed to return it. If you're doing this, you're not allowed to return it. There was no waving of the arms, and I cleared it with the Big 12 officials before the game. I told them we were going to do it, making sure they were good with it, and they said, 'Yeah, just as long as he doesn't wave the arms.'
I think he had an issue with that.
You have to ask him why he didn't take it up with the officials and why he felt the need to come over here, while his player was on the ground, and look at me and say something to me and do that motion at me like I was full of you know-what-to do it. That's what I have an issue with. I'm a competitive guy. When somebody says that to me, I'm going to respond, because I thought that was bush league, just to be completely honest. Again, I have my own team to worry about.
Give them credit. I've got a ton of respect for Coach Bielema. I've really enjoyed being around him this week. We're two competitive guys. I thought that was uncalled for, especially when his own player is on the ground hurt."
On late substitutions during the game
"Look, we got beat. There's some inconsistencies in how things are done from league to league. How some conferences interpret substitutions rules and how other conferences do it. Today was the Big 12. It's a little bit different than what the SEC has been. We've had SEC officials all year, and I think it's up to each crew how they're going to handle substitutions. Look, we do it, too. If a team subs late in the play clock, we will sub to try and run the play clock down. It was happening a lot today, and, typically, if we sub a running back for a running back, then that's it, or if they were to sub a running back for a running back, then we might get one guy in the game. I'll have to go back and watch the TV copy, but it just seemed like there was a lot.
"They sub and then they sub again, then they sub again, which they can get their people out there.
"This isn't me complaining, it's just a little bit different. ...
"Again, this isn't Shane up here blaming the officials. Could we have been a little bit more cleaner with substitutions at times? Absolutely, but there was just some discrepancies in how that substitution is handled and something that I was really just trying to get an answer with. ...
"It's not why we lost the game, but it was just some inconsistencies that we had to battle."
Illinois' Bret Bielema
On the incident
"There's an unwritten philosophy in coaching when you do [the substitution gesture] as a college kickoff return guy, what we're doing is you telling everyone else that it is going to be a fair catch and it's going to be dead at the end zone. The reason we do that is... kickoff and kickoff returns is the highest percentage of injury in the sport. So one of the things that coaches began to do is everybody out of respect started T-barring.. Everybody does that. I've never seen it any other way."
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