Houston's Applewhite, Oliver reconcile after jacket dispute
It appears as though Houston head coach Major Applewhite and defensive lineman Ed Oliver have moved past a heated sideline confrontation during Thursday's game against Tulane in which Applewhite forced his star defender to remove a jacket.
Applewhite addressed the situation postgame, insisting he was enforcing a team rule in which sideline jackets are reserved for active players. Oliver's missed the past four games due to a knee injury.
Both parties worked to put the past behind them on Friday.
"Ed is a passionate human being, and that is why he is the best player in the country. Last night was not indicative of his character and it was a passionate moment within our program. We, can we will, both learn from this situation as we move forward together," Applewhite said in a statement, according to Chris Vannini of The Athletic.
"Last night is not who I am. I'm very passionate about the game of football and last night there was a misunderstanding. I was caught in an emotional moment. I have the utmost respect for Coach Applewhite and I appreciate the support of Coach Applewhite and my teammates during this time. I love my brothers, my team and my city and I'm looking forward to moving forward with them together. Go Coogs!" reads Oliver's statement.