Old Dominion Surges in Second Half Win Over USF in Cure Bowl, 24-10

The Old Dominion Monarchs defeated the USF Bulls 24-10 off a dominant second half to win their 10th game of the season, securing a 2025 Cure Bowl victory.

2025 Cure Bowl: Old Dominion Bests USF

Early in the contest, South Florida was holding on to a lead, and playing some hard-nosed football. USF entered halftime with a 10-7 lead over the Monarchs, but a combination of strong defensive play and a more controlled ground game allowed for Old Dominion to leave Orlando with a win. USF was held scoreless in the second half, including two missed field goals on the day from kicker Nico Gramatica.

The turning point in the game came in the third quarter, when USF cornerback De’Shawn Rucker hit Old Dominion quarterback Quinn Henicle. The physicality of the hit forced a fumble that was recovered by USF cornerback Michael Williams II. However, after a review it was ruled that Rucker had committed a targeting violation, which allowed Old Dominion to keep possession of the ball. It also suspended Rucker from the rest of the contest. Fifth-year offensive lineman Cole Best said that the fight kept going throughout the entire season.

“Not a single guy on this entire team, not a single coach, stopped swinging or stopped fighting,” Best said. “We went through some of the craziest adversity you can imagine and the will to just keep going.”

Later in the third, USF quarterback Gaston Moore was hit on a completed circus pass to Jeyquan Smith. After the play, two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties would turn the 20-yard catch into a negative 15-yard play. Worse yet, the hit would sideline Moore, having his day end with 236 yards passing, one touchdown and a pair of interceptions. He would be replaced by true freshman Locklan Hewlett, who struggled to move the ball offensively throughout the final two quarters. Interim coach Kevin Patrick said that despite the game not going in their favor, the players has been changed dramatically.

“9-4 wasn’t what we were expecting, but as men in that locker room we got better,” Patrick said. “When they finish their football careers, they’re gonna be great men in this world.”

In the fourth quarter with four minutes remaining, Henicle took over with a 16-yard run on 3rd-and-5, where he carried multiple defenders for extra yardage. He would follow this up with a 51 yard touchdown run, sealing the game for the Monarchs and earning him Cure Bowl MVP honors.

ODU Comes Out on Top

“We were able to put it all together as a team,” Henicle said. “This award is a team award.”

For Old Dominion, this ended up being the first win for head Coach Ricky Rahne in a bowl game, improving his record to 1-2.

“I felt our team prepared like champions all year,” Rahne said. “Now that they have a ring that they can look at with this team is important.”

Tempers flared throughout the game, with several players losing their helmets and receiving unsportsmanlike penalties. Coach Rahne said the key to winning the bowl game was not in the fundamental’s, but in limiting pre and post snap penalties.

“Really its just managing the emotions,” Rahne said. “You still have to play with emotion, and I think our guys obviously did that.”

When asked if 10-3 would be easier to build upon, coach Rahne confidently said that each year brings its own values with it.

“I think each year its a new team,” Rahne said. “I don’t think you can build off anything and its even more prevalent now. You got to reestablish the culture every single year. The culture is combined actions of everyone in the organization.”