USF looks to secure elusive 10th win in Cure Bowl vs. Old Dominion

ORLANDO, Fla. — The South Florida Bulls will head up I-4 to Orlando for a clash against the Old Dominion Monarchs in the Cure Bowl.

It marks the third straight season USF has reached bowl eligibility and the 13th postseason appearance in program history. With a win, the Bulls would secure their 10th victory of the season, just the third double-digit win season in program history.

“The opportunity to get a tenth win for just the third time in program history is remarkable, and it’s a great opportunity,” interim coach Kevin Patrick said during Thursday’s press conference.

The Bulls had a program-record 11 players earn spots on the American all-conference teams, but questions surround the team’s level of play heading into the Cure Bowl because of outside circumstances.

The game will be USF’s first since the departure of former coach Alex Golesh, who left to become the head coach at Auburn. Golesh accepted the Auburn job the day after USF’s 52-3 win over Rice to close the regular season. Defensive line coach Kevin Patrick is serving as the interim head coach against Old Dominion.

“I’m extremely proud of how all the players and everybody involved has handled this situation,” senior offensive lineman Cole Best said. “I don’t sense for a second that anybody on this team blinked or hesitated.”

Patrick brings extensive experience to the interim role, having spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach at USF across three separate stints from 1996-98, 2008-12 and 2023-present. He has served as the Bulls’ defensive line coach since returning to the staff following the 2022 season.

Patrick played a key role in the recruitment and development of USF great Jason Pierre-Paul, the program’s first two-time All-American and highest NFL draft pick. Pierre-Paul was selected 15th overall by the New York Giants in 2010 and went on to win two Super Bowls, including one with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. Patrick was also named one of Rivals’ top 25 recruiters in the nation in 2009.

Senior quarterback Byrum Brown will not play in the game and instead will serve in a coaching role against the Monarchs. Brown will finish his USF career ranked inside the program’s top five in passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

Graduate quarterback Gaston Moore will make his first career start against Old Dominion. Moore spent four seasons at Tennessee before transferring to USF this past summer. He has appeared in seven games this season, completing 14 of 20 passes for 54 yards and a touchdown.

With a backup quarterback under center, USF is expected to lean heavily on its rushing attack. The Bulls rushed for 200 or more yards in eight of their final nine regular-season games.

Sophomore running back Nykahi Davenport leads the Bulls running backs with 619 rushing yards. USF’s rushing attack ranks fifth nationally at 5.7 yards per carry.

USF will also have plenty of weapons in the passing game. Sophomore receiver Keshaun Singleton leads the team with 50 receptions, 877 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Singleton needs 21 receiving yards Wednesday to secure the second-highest single-season receiving total in program history. A 123-yard performance would give him 1,000 receiving yards, a milestone reached only by Sean Atkins in 2023.

Freshman Jeremiah Koger has added 34 receptions for 529 yards and seven touchdowns, while graduate Mudia Reuben has caught 36 passes for 495 yards and five scores.

Defensively, Old Dominion has generated pressure from multiple angles, with 16 different players recording at least one sack this season. Monarchs opponents are averaging just 4.8 yards per play.

Old Dominion enters the Cure Bowl riding a five-game winning streak. The Monarchs finished 9-3 overall and 6-2 in Sun Belt play, both marks ranking second in the conference. Back-to-back conference losses in October prevented Old Dominion from reaching the Sun Belt championship game, but the Monarchs boast wins over Sun Belt runner-up Troy and Virginia Tech.

The Monarchs are led by sixth-year coach Ricky Rahne. Wednesday’s game marks Old Dominion’s third bowl appearance under Rahne, with the Monarchs splitting their previous two postseason games. The 2025 season represented a breakthrough for Rahne, whose previous high for wins in a single season was six.

Old Dominion will be without starting quarterback and Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year Colton Joseph. The redshirt sophomore entered the transfer portal last week and is expected to be one of the top quarterbacks available.

Redshirt freshman Quinn Henicle will start at quarterback for the Monarchs. Henicle has appeared in eight games this season, totaling 57 passing yards and 102 rushing yards. His lone career start came last season, when he threw for 143 yards, rushed for 206 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns in a win over Arkansas State. That performance included a 92-yard touchdown run, the longest in Old Dominion history.

Henicle will be part of a potent Monarchs rushing attack. Old Dominion averaged 236.7 rushing yards per game during the regular season, seventh most in the country.

Joseph led the Monarchs with 1,007 rushing yards, but Old Dominion will have plenty of rushing production on the field. Junior running back Trequan Jones has 736 yards and averaging a stellar 7.6 yards per carry. Redshirt sophomore Devin Roche has added 530 rushing yards.

USF has held opponents to 3.6 yards per carry this season, though the Bulls’ run defense has shown vulnerability at times, allowing Miami to rush for 205 yards and Navy for 338.

Old Dominion features a trio of receivers with more than 600 yards receiving: redshirt sophomore Tre’ Brown III, junior Ja’Cory Thomas and sophomore Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding.

They will face a USF defense led by graduate linebackers Mac Harris and Jhalyn Shuler, both playing their final collegiate games.

Harris earned first-team American Conference honors and was named a third-team All-American by Pro Football & Sports Network. He is one of 44 FBS players with at least 100 tackles this season and leads the Bulls in tackles, sacks and turnovers forced.

Shuler was named second-team all-conference and has compiled 261 tackles during his four-year USF career, ranking among the top 15 in program history. Both players were part of USF’s 1-11 team in 2022 and have played pivotal roles in the program’s turnaround.

“Moments like these are the moments that will make you live forever,” Harris said about the opportunity to secure a ten win season.

USF’s defense has forced 24 turnovers this season, the eighth most in the country, setting up a key storyline against a turnover-prone Old Dominion team. The Monarchs have lost 23 turnovers, ranking 125th in the FBS. Harris and sophomore defensive backs Fred Gaskin, James Chenault and Jarvis Lee each have multiple interceptions.

Since its creation in 2015, the Cure Bowl has raised more than $6 million for cancer research. Patrick called it a “great cause” and expressed excitement about playing in a game that supports cancer patients.

The game is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. Wednesday on ESPN.