By Karis Fedor
The University of South Florida (9-4) suffered a disappointing 24-10 loss to Old Dominion University (10-3) in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on December 17. It was the team’s third consecutive bowl appearance and its 13th in program history. The game featured a USF team lacking the high-powered offense it had all season with QB Byrum Brown at the helm. With one year of college eligibility left, Brown was on the sidelines, serving as an assistant coach while he contemplates his football future. The team was also missing three other offensive starters. Former head coach Alex Golish has already departed for his new head coaching position at Auburn University, and new head coach Brian Hartline is seeing Ohio State through the playoffs before taking over at USF, so interim head coaching duties went to defensive line coach Kevin Patrick.
Francis Fedor Photos
USF Bull JeyQuan Smith stretches for an acrobatic catch that was nullified by penalties in Cure Bowl loss on Dec. 17.
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Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando with his squad, for likely the last time, prior to the Curl Bowl in Orlando, FL, on Dec. 17
Bull WR Christian Neptune races away from an ODU defender during Cure Bowl in Orlando on Dec. 17.
Graduate student Gaston Moore made his first career start leading the offense and went 20-for-28 for 236 yards with one TD and two interceptions and was sacked three times. The Bulls got on the scoreboard first with a Nico Gramatica 28-yard field goal late in the first quarter, but the Monarchs answered with 42 seconds left in the quarter on a six-yard run by QB Quinn Henicle. The Bulls took a 10-7 lead with 7:24 left in the second quarter on a 31-yard pass from Moore to Jeremiah Koger, who had 68 yards in four catches on the night. The Bulls’ leading receiver in the game was Christian Neptune, who had a career high 10 catches for 102 yards. LB Jhalyn Shuler stood out on defense with a team best 10 tackles, ending the season with a team-leading 105 tackles.
The second half of the game was all ODU as it took the lead on a 22-yard run by Trequan Jones and a 24-yard field goal by Nathanial Eichner to make it 17-10 at the end of the third quarter. During the drive, it appeared that Henicle had fumbled the ball, but an official review resulted in a targeting penalty against Bulls cornerback De’Shawn Rucker for the hit on Henicle, who was jarred and sat out one play before coming back into the game. Henicle sealed the win for the Monarchs with a 51-yard run with 2:24 remaining in the game, giving ODU a 24-10 lead. Henicle went 11-for-25 with 127 yards passing and 107 net yards rushing and was named the Bowl MVP. The Bulls had several chances to go ahead during the game, but were stymied by four interceptions, a fumbled punt return, missed field goals and several untimely penalties. Early in the fourth quarter, USF had a great opportunity to score following a Moore 20-yard pass to JeyQuan Smith, but Moore took a hard hit on the play, and the Bulls were assessed two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties after the play that took the ball back to the ODU 44 yard line. Freshman Locklan Hewlett took over QB duties, but the Bulls’ drive stalled. The ODU defense held strong the entire game, holding USF to 52 yards rushing compared to its 255 yards on the ground.
ODU QB, and Cure Bowl MVP, looks to elude USF tacklers in Orlando on Dec. 17.
The Bulls will now turn the page and wait for Hartline to step into the role of head football coach and continue to build out his staff and the 2026 roster. Hartline and USF have already announced new defensive and offensive coordinators, a new quarterbacks coach and several other coaching positions. The 2026 schedule will not include a game against Alabama as that game was dropped from the schedule in recent weeks. It will be a different look for the Bulls in 2026, but all signs point to a dynamic performance with Hartline at the helm.