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Bret Bielema Has Blunt Message For Everyone After Citrus Bowl Controversy

Originally posted on The Spun | By Matt Hladik | Last updated Jan 1, 2025 9:30 AM ET

Yesterday's Citrus Bowl between South Carolina and Illinois was highlighted by a dispute between head coaches Shane Beamer and Bret Bielema.

During the second half of the Illini's 21-17 win, Beamer had to be restrained from going after Bielema during a break in the action. While a player was being tended to on the field with an injury, Bielema appeared to do the substitution signal toward the South Carolina sideline, which many thought was the coach taunting the Gamecocks over their frequent substitutions during the game. However, while Bielema's actions incensed Beamer, he was actually talking about something else.

After the game, both coaches confirmed that Bielema was angry over a signal South Carolina's kick returners had given on a kickoff earlier in the game. While the gesture seemed to indicate the returners were going to let the ball go for a touchback, the Gamecocks actually returned the kick and tried a lateral on the play.

On Wednesday morning, Bielema took to X/Twitter to again clear the air, saying that he was concerned that what the South Carolina players had done, while legal, went against the spirit of the rules in place to limit player injuries on kick returns.

"Had NOTHING to do with substitution. Had everything to do with player safety. #HappyNewYear2025 #famILLy #ILL The best is yet to come," Bielema said.

CHAMPAIGN, IL - AUGUST 28: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Bret Bielema reacts after a play during the Big Ten Conference college football game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Illinois Fighting Illini on August 28, 2021, at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

After the loss, Beamer made it clear he's "got a lot of respect for" Bielema but also said the coach did something he'd "never seen" before in his decades of coaching.

"It’s heated and competitive out there but in all my years of being around football, I've never seen an opposing head coach come over to the opposing team's sideline and basically make a gesture toward the opposing head coach," Beamer said . "I think he was upset about something that we did on a kickoff return in regards to JuJu [McDowell] on the throw back to Nyck Harbor, but I would say he needs to check the rulebook because that’s something we cleared with the officials before the game. It's disappointing."

With the win, Illinois finished 10-3 on the season, the program's first 10-win campaign since 2001.

South Carolina, meanwhile, finished 9-4.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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