It’s been a very eventful last few weeks for South Florida football. The USF Bulls closed out the 2025 regular season on a positive note and introduced Brian Hartline as the next head coach. While there continue to be many moving pieces in navigating new leadership and program personnel, the team hasn’t appeared to be vey fazed or distracted in the slightest. To close out the 2025 season, USF heads to the postseason and will play Old Dominion in the Cure Bowl. With that said, let’s dive into the final game preview.
USF Bulls vs. ODU Monarchs: 2025 Cure Bowl Preview
This year’s Cure Bowl will be played on Wednesday, December 17 in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium. While reigning from different conferences, both of these teams have similar resumes in what they have individually accomplished throughout the regular season. Although this is a matchup that many may have not been entirely expecting, additional intrigue has stemmed from new developments to consider for both teams.
Matchup History and Excerpts
Up until this point, South Florida and Old Dominion have never played each other on the football field.
Approaching their first-ever meeting with the Monarchs, USF is sitting at fourth place in the American, with an overall record of 9-3 and are 6-2 in the conference. Old Dominion is in second place in the Sun Belt East, just below James Madison. The Monarchs are in the exact same boat as the Bulls, with a 9-3 overall record and are 6-2 against conference opponents.
While the trip south to warmer weather will likely be somewhat of an adjustment for the Monarchs, the Bulls will be a short ways away from home. Being selected for one of the first bowl games will also allow USF plenty of time to get settled will all of the staffing changes come the offseason and preparation for spring practices. Defensive line coach Kevin Patrick has been serving as the interim head coach following Alex Golesh’s departure to Auburn and will continue to do so throughout the bowl game. However, tight ends coach Jack Taylor and running backs coach Micah James will be responsible for play-calling.
Solely based off of records, the odds couldn’t be more 50-50. Yet to make things even more interesting, both teams will be playing without their starting quarterbacks from the regular season.
Keys, Players, and Predictions
Key Players for South Florida
In curveball fashion, quarterback Byrum Brown will not suit up for the Bulls on Wednesday. CEO of USF Athletics Rob Higgins announced that in having continuing conversations regarding Brown’s future at USF, they mutually decided that it would be best for him to opt-out of playing in the Cure Bowl. However, Byrum has remained very involved. He will be on the sideline serving as an assistant coach instead and Gaston Moore will come in as the starting quarterback.
The Bulls’ receiving corps has been intriguing all season long, and Mudia Reuben has emerged as a new fan favorite. In the regular season finale against Rice, Reuben tallied five receptions for 90 yards and one touchdown. Jeremiah Koger has also had a very impressive freshman year, as well as Keshaun Singleton who has continued to be a reliable option and test skilled-defenders downfield. As for the run-game, Nykahi Davenport can be explosive and will likely be the primary handler from the backfield.
Hindered by a few injuries, the defense has had several different looks throughout the last few games. However, with nearly 200 tackles combined, linebackers Mac Harris and Jhalyn Shuler continue to be the units’ leaders at the forefront. With many rotations in the secondary, the backs will need to be on top of their game downfield in order to halt a very talented Monarch’s receiving unit.
Key Players for Old Dominion
To perhaps even the playing field in some capacity, Monarchs quarterback Colton Joseph has also opted-out of playing in the bowl game as he plans to enter the transfer portal. Filling in for Joseph will be redshirt freshman quarterback Quinn Henicle, who is known especially for his speed and abilities in the rushing attack.
The Monarchs have a dynamic and quick on their feet wide receiver corps that is difficult to defend. Tre’ Brown III leads the unit with 37 receptions for 751 yards and four touchdowns. Brown has been a go-to pass all season, and the same can be said for Ja’Cory Thomas and Na’eem Abdul-Rahim Gladding.
Shifting to the primary carriers, the rushing attack is led by running backs Trequan Jones and Devin Roche. Jones has taken 97 carries for 736 yards and five touchdowns this season.
Safety Jerome Carter leads the charge for a versatile Old Dominion defense with 72 tackles and four interceptions. Right beside Carter in the secondary is safety Mario Easterly, who is also shutting down momentum downhill. Linebackers Jeremy Mack Jr. and Jahleel Culbreath will aim to contain the USF offense shortly past the line. Mack Jr. leads the team with 4.5 sacks for 34 yards.
2025 Preview: Keys to Victory for USF
Stay with your guy
The Monarchs wide receivers are speedy and dynamic. The Bulls defense will need to ensure they have eyes all over the field, flock to the football and keep their opponents in front of them.
Take a breath, reset
Some of USF’s best plays all season took place when an extra few seconds was utilized to get set at the line and halted their very fast-paced offense. Performed appropriately, this is a momentum shift that can potentially throw off the opponent and yield an opportunity for the Bulls to capitalize upon.
Right here, right now
This will be the last time that this 2025 Bulls football team will take the field together and as they have all season long, playing for each other and with each other will be the most important thing.
Discover more from The League Winners
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Mackenzie Neglia
Currently a student at the University of South Florida, raised in a New York football family. Always looking for a new book, coffee shop, and travel spot.