South Florida (9-3; 6-2 American) vs. Old Dominion (9-3; 6-2 Sun Belt)
Wednesday, December 17 • 5:00 p.m. • Camping World Stadium • Orlando, Florida.
SURFACE: Grass
TV: ESPN: Dave Neal (P-by-P), Fozzy Whittaker (analyst) and Morgan Uber (sidelines)
RADIO: Q105 FM and Bulls Unlimited (digital)
SERIES: First meeting
IN TAMPA: THAT
IN NORFOLK: THAT
LAST TIME: THAT
BOWL GAMES: 8-4
LAST: W, 41-39 in 5 overtimes against San Jose State at the 2025 Hawaii Bowl
LAST TIME IN ORLANDO: L, 21-3 against Memphis, in 2024, at Camping World Stadium in a game moved due to Hurricane Milton
SOUTH FLORIDA GAME NOTES
BULLSEYE COACHES SHOW
THE HERD HERE FIRST
ORLANDO — Who wants it most?
For bowl games that don’t decide championships, that’s usually the bottom line.
That motivation will certainly determine the outcome of Wednesday’s Cure Bowl between the USF Bulls (9-3, 6-2 American Conference) and the Old Dominion University Monarchs (9-3, 6-2 Sun Belt Conference) at Camping World Stadium.
On paper, the Bulls should have plenty of incentives. USF can reach 10 wins for just the third time in program history. And he can only win a third straight bowl game for the second time.
Meanwhile, ODU can win a 10th game for the third time in its brief history (its modern program began in 2009 at the Football Championship Subdivision level, then moved to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2014). Once upon a time, USF and ODU had a Sun Belt basketball rivalry in the 1980s, long before either school decided to add football.
Both programs have powerful dual-threat quarterbacks who have opted out of the bowl game – Burum Brown for USF and Colton Joseph for ODU.
USF has some familiar faces in new places. After head coach Alex Golesh joined Auburn University, bringing with him four assistant coaches and various support staff members, defensive line coach Kevin Patrick was elevated to interim head coach. Tight Ends Coach Jack Taylor will serve as offensive coordinator with assistance from the running backs coach Micah Jameswho now works with the offensive linemen.
ODU has stability. Coach Ricky Rahne, the former Penn State offensive coordinator who has been mentioned for other jobs, remains in place with his team intact.
“We’re going to be ready to play and we’re going to be excited to play,” Patrick said.
Here are the keys for USF to beat ODU and finish strong:
1. Cooking with gas — With Brown inactive and helping on the coaching side, USF will start sixth-year quarterback Gaston Moore. The beloved kid known as “Gas Pipe” – a career backup with one season at UCF, four at Tennessee and a bonus year at USF – will start for the first time in his college finale.
What to expect?
Is a USF legend ready to go?
Patrick said Moore is more of a known quantity that people realize. After arriving just before USF’s training camp, he began his career at a logistics company, then answered Golesh’s last-minute call for an experienced player after Bryce Archie signed a professional baseball contract – Moore looked the part.
He did a cleanup job in seven games, completing 14 of 20 passes, but continually stood out in practice with his composure, knowledge and quick arm. Moore said he was excited about the unexpected departure opportunity and wanted to make a strong impression.
With a fleet of productive USF receivers at his disposal, Moore might have the ability to make things happen. And wouldn’t that be a fun story?
2. Audition for the new boss — On December 3, the Bulls hired Ohio State University offensive coordinator Brian Hartline as the program’s new head coach. In the era of the transfer portal (which opens January 2) and NIL, everyone needs to stay agile anyway. But there might be added incentive (for players and coaches) to get Hartline’s attention in this bowl game.
There could be a surprise hero.
Or maybe a big production from a young player who hadn’t seen much time.
It will also be instructive to see how Patrick and his disparate coaching staff respond to all the quick adjustments.
“For the staff that’s still here, that’s still a lot of the core of the program,” Patrick said. “A lot of times their names aren’t in the press and not many people know about them. But those are (some of) the biggest reasons why his program has continued to grow over the last three years. I’m excited for a lot of these young coaches who are getting a heck of an opportunity.
Players and coaches could pave the way for their football futures. That’s motivation enough.
3. Bring the heat — With ODU’s Joseph sitting out and planning to enter the transfer portal (having rushed for 1,007 yards and passing for 2,624 with 34 total touchdowns), the Monarchs will likely turn to Quinn Henicle, a 6-foot-2, 211-pound freshman who threw 15 passes all season (completing six) and rushed 20 times for 102 yards (5.1 average yards).
The Bulls have only four sacks in the last three regular season games (after having 14 in the previous three). Look for the USF defense to turn up the pressure on Henicle and force the action. Entering the bowl season, the Bulls had 24 turnovers, which ranked them 7th nationally.
4. Play with pride — Do you remember that? It’s a big part of football. And that should be a big part of USF’s efforts against ODU.
For USF’s 30 seniors, many of whom were part of a 1-11 season in 2022, there is a burning desire to punctuate their careers with a resounding triumph. Let’s be real, 10-3 sounds way better than 9-4. Three straight bowl wins are a nice addition to the resume.
It was a particularly memorable season.
Wins over Boise State, Florida and North Texas lifted USF into the national rankings and the program’s first-ever spot in the College Football Playoff rankings.
Bitter three-point losses at Memphis and Navy erased the chance to compete for a Conference USA championship and earn a playoff spot.
But finishing 10-3 with a bowl victory — as well as defeating the Florida Gators in Gainesville — would be accolades that would set this team apart in the program’s 29-season history.
“Especially the guys who have been here a long time and have gone through some really tough seasons, we’re very proud of that (aiming for a 10th win),” senior center Cole Best said. “I know one of the main reasons I came here was to turn things around. It’s definitely something big that we have our eyes on. The collective buy-in from these remaining coaches and these players, we all understand what needs to be done. We’re more than capable of getting that 10th win.”
–#GoBulls–
