The Illini rallied three times before overcoming the Gamecocks in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl thanks to two touchdowns by Josh McCray.

The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl was one to savor as it featured all sorts of mind-blowing action, including a coaches' confrontation.

Josh McCray scored his second touchdown of the game on a 9-yard run midway through the fourth quarter to give No. 21 Illinois the lead, and the Illini held on to beat No. 14 South Carolina 21-17 in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

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.

It will be easy to forget the final score of Tuesday’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl — 21-17 Illinois over South Carolina. Yes, Illinois (10-3) beat USC (9-4), keeping the Gamecocks from winning 10 games for only the fifth time in school history.

No. 15 South Carolina faces No. 20 Illinois in the Citrus Bowl in the first all-time meeting between the programs. Illinois is looking for its first bowl win since the 2011 season, while South Carolina seeks its second bowl game win in four seasons under coach Shane Beamer.

South Carolina coach Shane Beamer erupted Tuesday after Illinois coach Bret Bielema appeared to taunt him during the Citrus Bowl.

Illinois' defense helped seal the win by stopping South Carolina with a little more than three minutes remaining.

A few days out from the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, Illinois has made the trip to Orlando. In the new-age of star players opting-out of bowl games, the Illini escape relatively unscathed. The only opt-out for the Orange and Blue is receiver Pat Bryant,

Illinois Fighting Illini vs South Carolina Gamecocks picks, predictions, odds, TV channel, streaming for Citrus Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 31.