The USF Bulls, coming off one of the best seasons in program history, have accepted an invitation to play in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl in Orlando at Camping World Stadium on December 17th. Kick-off is set for 5:00 p.m. with the game being nationally televised on ESPN.
The Bulls will play Old Dominion from Conference USA. The Monarchs posted a 9-3 record this season and were 6-2 in conference play. The Monarchs lost their season opener at Indiana, lost at Marshall, a game they should have won, and lost to conference powerhouse James Madison, who are playing for a conference championship this week.
This will be the 13th bowl appearance in program history for the USF Bulls. This is the Bulls’ first appearance in the Cure Bowl. The Bulls are 8-4 in bowl games in program history, and this will be the first meeting between USF and Old Dominion in school history.
The Bulls will also be going for their third consecutive bowl win. The Bulls shut out Syracuse 42-0 in the Boca Raton Bowl to wrap up Alex Golesh’s first season as coach. Then, last season, the Bulls spent Christmas in Hawaii, defeating San Jose State in the Hawaii Bowl 41-39 on Christmas Eve.
“The Cure Bowl supports a tremendous cause that we are excited to champion, and we look forward to our Bulls taking on a very talented Old Dominion team,” CEO of Athletics Rob Higgins said. “It’s a short drive for Bulls Nation to Camping World Stadium, and I look forward to a great turnout in Green and Gold as we pursue a third straight bowl win for just the second time in program history.”
The American Athletic Conference has tie-ins with the Fenway Bowl and the Armed Forces Bowl and, in the past, has sent teams to the Myrtle Beach Bowl, the Hawaii Bowl, and the New Mexico Bowl. There was also talk that USF might play an ACC team in the Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
After starting the season on a promising note with wins over Boise State and Florida, the Bulls had visions of playing for the conference championship and a possible College Football Playoff berth. Those plans were derailed along the way with losses to AAC powerhouses Memphis and Navy. At the end of the day, this bowl game is akin to getting a lump of coal in your Christmas stocking on Christmas Morning.
So, why the Cure Bowl? Higgins’ posting on X indicated that, due to the December/January football calendar and the hiring of new coach Brian Hartline, it made sense to play an early bowl game this season. Also, several assistant coaches have left to join Alex Golesh at Auburn. Higgins also added in his post, “Really important for us to play as early as possible & stay close to home given our recent circumstances.”
Interim Head Coach Kevin Patrick is excited to go against a quality opponent in the Cure Bowl: “We are excited to go and finish this season strong against a very good Old Dominion team in the Cure Bowl. Our guys are preparing for the opportunity to post a third straight bowl win and to compete for a 10th win on the year, something that has only been accomplished here two other times.”
The Bulls will be aiming for their 10th win of the season – something the program has achieved only twice before, most recently in 2017.