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.

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema and South Carolina's Shane Beamer got into it during the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl Tuesday night and it doesn't seem like their feud will calm down anytime soon. Beamer explained that he believed Bielema was upset because of a trick play South Carolina ran on a kickoff return.

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

An Illinois football player was down near the South Carolina sideline at one point in the second half and Bret Bielema went over to check on his player. He then did the T-bar gesture that you will see on kickoffs as he walked away, and Shane Beamer thought that Bielema was taunting him. Bielema explained what happened after the game.

Beamer's anger likely stemmed from a tit-for-tat battle between the two coaches, each of whom were sending in late substitutions all game long. And Bielema's laughter occurred shortly after the heated interaction, when he sent in three defensive players with the play clock winding down, forcing Beamer to burn a timeout.

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.

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. Bielema came across the field to check on his player.

Tuesday's Cheez-It Citrus Bowl between Illinois and South Carolina turned fiery in the third quarter when Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer took exception to Bielema making a taunting gesture in the direction of South Carolina's sideline after SC defensive back Jaheim Clarke went down on the field with an injury.

Bret Bielema and South Carolina HC Shane Beamer had a bit of a moment during the Citrus Bowl on Tuesday evening.

After Illini defensive back Jaheim Clarke went down with an injury, his coach Bret Bielema walked over to check on him. Once he was done with the check-up, he held his arms out to both sides in the signal for substitution. He did this with quite a bit of attitude, and in the direction of Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer.