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.

All hell broke loose in the third quarter of the Cheez-It Bowl on Tuesday. It wasn't the players. It was South Carolina coach Shane Beamer going after Illinois' Bret Bielema. An Illinois DB was injured on a long pass play by South Carolina.

"Beamer could hardly believe it at first. He taunted Shane Beamer and Beamer had enough and snapped," ESPN sideline reporter Quint Kessenich said.

Beamer saw Bielema’s taunt and started charging forward screaming and pointing at the Illinois head coach. A number of staffers held him back and escorted him back to the sideline. “Shane just turned to me and said, ‘You saw what he did,’ ” said ABC sideline reporter Quint Kessenich.

Shane Beamer erupted on Tuesday after Bret Bielema appeared to taunt South Carolina's coach during the Citrus Bowl:

Shane Beamer and Bret Bielema are no longer friends. After the head coaches for South Carolina and Illinois spoke glowingly of each other throughout the week leading up to Tuesday’s Citrus Bowl, all hell broke loose late in the third quarter when Bielema chose to taunt Beamer while tending to an injured player.

Shane Beamer's South Carolina squad lined up against Bret Bielema's Illinois squad in this year's Cheez-It Citrus Bowl after being two of the better squads in the sport throughout the regular season. However, in the third quarter of the New Year's Eve matchup, Beamer and Bielema were visually upset with one another on the field.

Shane Beamer and Bret Bielema had to be held back from one another after Bielema trolled South Carolina's head coach.

Citrus Bowl features South Carolina football and Illinois. Both went 5-7 in 2023 and are playing for win No. 10 in 2024 on Tuesday.