South Florida got their revenge on Florida Atlantic with a blowout win and plenty of leftover tension from last year’s matchup. In that game, FAU ran up the score late, didn’t take a knee, and went for it on fourth down. South Florida’s head coach made it clear during the week that he hadn’t forgotten. After this year’s win, the postgame handshake was icy. South Florida’s coach stared down his counterpart, gave a stiff handshake with no words, and walked off. FAU’s coach didn’t take it well and told him to grow up if he had something to say.
Things got more awkward when South Florida’s coach shook hands with all the opposing players but stayed cold toward the FAU staff. One assistant coach even gave a light bump and maybe said something, which led to more jawing. FAU’s coach seemed ready to go back at him, but his wife stepped in, grabbed him by the neck, and pulled him away. It was messy, driven by bad blood from the previous year. The win helped South Florida settle the score, but the cold ending showed that these coaches won’t be sending holiday cards anytime soon.