Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and South Carolina’s Shane Beamer went at it during the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Tuesday, with a bizarre confrontation that led to Beamer being restrained from going after his rival.
And ABC sideline reporter Quint Kessenich found himself right in the middle of the fray.
Late in the third quarter during an injury timeout, Bielema taunted Beamer with a gesture. The Gamecocks coach responded by shouting something at Bielema, and he had to be restrained by officials and his assistant coaches from going any further.
“We have an altercation of some sort down on the field. Shane Beamer is incensed, irate about something,” ABC Sports play-by-play announcer Mark Jones said.
Down on the field, Kessenich could not have been any closer to the incident.
“Bret Bielema walked across the field to take care of his injured player and taunted Shane Beamer with the substitution posture … he did it repeatedly,” Kessenich said. “Beamer could hardly believe it at first. … He taunted Shane Beamer and Beamer had enough and snapped! Shane just turned to me and said, ‘You saw what he did?’ I did see it. I did see it. He taunted the opposing coach!”
Shane Beamer vs. Bret Bielema at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl! pic.twitter.com/JQS1Sezb9e
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 31, 2024
Within a matter of minutes, the confrontation had inspired a host of memes on social media.
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) December 31, 2024
— Will (@WillTalksBall) December 31, 2024
Illinois went on to win the game, 21-17, and afterward, the two coaches shook hands. Kessenich asked Bielema afterward what had happened in the incident, and the coach ignored the question to talk about the game itself.
Shane Beamer and Bret Bielema shake hands after Illinois beats South Carolina in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.
Quint Kessenich then asks Bielema about the drama with Beamer, and Bielema ignores that to talk about the win. https://t.co/Cedf8ldAsN pic.twitter.com/aqIfyn1K77
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 31, 2024
[ABC]
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.