Old Dominion vs. South Florida Prediction: Cure Bowl Preview

NCAAF College Football
December 17, 2025
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Old Dominion vs. South Florida Prediction: Cure Bowl Preview

Old Dominion and South Florida are in a similar predicament ahead of the Cure Bowl, the first meeting between the two programs.

The Monarchs (9-3) will be without starting quarterback Colton Joseph, a dynamic dual threat who has announced his intention to enter the transfer portal. The same goes for the Bulls (9-3), as star quarterback Byrum Brown has opted out on the heels of a head coaching change in Tampa. It remains to be seen whether Brown will enter the portal, where he could reunite with former coach Alex Golesh at Auburn, but he will be on the sideline in Orlando as an assistant coach.

Old Dominion is turning to redshirt freshman Quinn Henicle under center, while South Florida will start redshirt senior Gaston Moore. The Monarchs and Bulls are both among the highest-scoring teams in their respective conferences, so the expectation is for a shootout to break out in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl.

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For the moment, Joseph and Brown are the only notable opt-outs, though injuries piled up for USF down the stretch. Defensive line coach Kevin Patrick is serving as the Bulls’ interim head coach for the bowl game before Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline takes over full time.

This is the first appearance for Old Dominion or South Florida in the Cure Bowl. The recent history of the game has produced some tight finishes; the last six bowls have been decided by one score.

StaffDNA Cure Bowl: Old Dominion vs. South Florida Odds, Details

Location: Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida
Kickoff: Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 5 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Spread: South Florida -3.5
Over/Under: 53.5
Announcers: Dave Neal, Fozzy Whittaker

Old Dominion vs. South Florida: Keys to Victory

Old Dominion wide receiver Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding (7) congratulates fellow wideout Tre’ Brown III (2) on a touchdown at Lane Stadium on Sept. 13, 2025.© Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Why Old Dominion Will Win

Henicle might be able to provide a good approximation of Joseph, the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year. He ran for over 200 yards in his only other start in 2024 and continued to make plays with his legs off the bench this season. Henicle is inexperienced as a passer with just 40 career attempts, but he has big-play threats at his disposal that can help ease his transition to the starting role.

Wide receiver Tre’ Brown III led ODU in receiving yards with 751 despite ranking third in receptions. His knack for explosive plays, which includes a 98-yard touchdown, helped the Monarchs finish among the top 10 nationally in passing plays of 40-plus yards.

Old Dominion is among the FBS leaders in run rate, so Henicle can expect to handle double-digit carries while running backs Trequan Jones and Devin Roche rotate in. Jones is the team’s No. 2 rusher behind Joseph, but Roche has had the hot hand as of late. He went for 137 yards and two touchdowns last time out against Georgia Southern.

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The Monarchs finished No. 2 in the Sun Belt in scoring defense, holding opponents below 20 points on average. Since surrendering 63 points in a loss to James Madison, Old Dominion has ripped off five straight wins — including a shutout of Troy — and allowed just six touchdowns during that stretch. Coach Ricky Rahne’s stout defense could disrupt Moore in his first career start with its propensity for creating pressure and causing turnovers. Remember, this is the same team that held top-ranked Indiana to 27 points in Week 1.

Why South Florida Will Win

The Bulls have been one of the best teams in the Group of 5 all season long. Once thought to have a shot at a spot in the College Football Playoff, USF has wins over Mountain West champion Boise State, North Texas and Florida. Not having Brown under center takes a bit of the wind out of the sails from the No. 2 offense in the country in scoring average and total offense, but there are still pieces in place that make this a dangerous unit.

Brown’s absence figures to open up work in the running game for explosive running backs Nykahi Davenport and Sam Franklin. They both average over six yards per carry, though volume is a bit of a question considering neither of them have hit 100 carries this season. Moore is not a threat to take off and run, but he’ll benefit from having wide receiver Keshaun Singleton available. Singleton, the Bulls’ top target, is coming off a career-best 125-yard outing with two touchdowns in a blowout win over Rice.

Defensively, South Florida’s strength lies in its linebacker room. Mac Harris and Jhalyn Shuler — both all-conference nominees — have combined for almost 200 tackles. They’ll be essential in the effort to contain Henicle. And though the Bulls are extremely opportunistic, having forced 24 turnovers, their secondary has been vulnerable at times. Their success in stopping the run will play a key role in this matchup. Kicking is also a definite edge for USF considering Nico Gramatica’s accuracy. Conversely, ODU has one of the worst field goal percentages in the FBS.

Cure Bowl Prediction: South Florida 27, Old Dominion 21

With just one career start between these two quarterbacks and two active defenses, turnovers figure to be a big factor in this matchup. Henicle has the potential to impress for the Monarchs, but the Bulls’ infrastructure beyond Brown still appears sound enough to secure a 10-win season. Between the special teams advantage and what should be a USF-friendly crowd just up the road from Tampa, the Bulls should have enough of an edge to pick up their third consecutive bowl game victory.

ATS: South Florida -3.5
O/U: Under 53.5

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 17, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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