Houston HC addresses incident with Oliver: 'I asked him to follow the rule'

Following Houston's victory over Tulane on Thursday, head coach Major Applewhite addressed the sideline incident with star defensive lineman Ed Oliver.

Oliver, who has been sidelined the past four games with a knee injury, confronted Applewhite after the coach forced him to remove a jacket that is reserved for active players.

"There's a rule for our team," Applewhite said, according to John Taylor of College Football Talk. "Everybody follows the rule. I asked him to follow the rule. He was upset about it, and I get it. We deal with these types of situations all the time. This is something we're going to learn from and grow from."

The argument resulted in Oliver not rejoining the team after halftime, but Applewhite isn't holding a grudge against the player.

"I want him back," he said. "I want him to be a part of our football team. If he wants to play, I want him to play."

Oliver has already declared for the 2019 NFL Draft.