ORLANDO, Fla. – Not that anyone was expecting a Picasso, but my God. If the eyes were not sore prior to Wednesday’s Cure Bowl, they sure as hell were during and after a 3-hour, 49-minute affair of often unsightly play, questionable to downright poor officiating and whatever else.
It was that kind of night at Camping World Stadium where the rules of the game dictated someone had to win. Unfortunately, for those clad in green and gold who made the drive to Orlando from Tampa and wherever else, it was not the Bulls. A 24-10 loss to Old Dominion prevented the third 10-win season in program history. They had to settle for 9-4 while the Monarchs finished 10-3.
Byrum Brown and receivers Keshaun Singleton and Mudia Reuben as well as offensive lineman Connor McLaughlin all sat out. Brown assisted in bowl prep while pondering his future and the other three were injured.
READ: Cure Bowl Wanted USF In An Event That Is More Than A Football Game
Gaston Moore got the start at quarterback for the Bulls, the first of his career in his final college game, and completed 20-of-28 for 238 yards and a touchdown. He also threw a pair of picks on what were truly errant throws before leaving in the fourth quarter due to injury. Moore was drilled after releasing a pass — JeyQuan Smith made a circus catch — and landed awkwardly on the turf, banging his head and ending his night. Fortunately, he walked off under his own power before disappearing in the tent.
Lochlan Hewlett took over the offense and threw for 45 yards and an interception.
“No matter how the game went, he didn’t blink,” said Cole Best, of Moore, whose 31-yard TD pass to Jeremiah Koger gave the Bulls a 10-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
The fact the Bulls were in position to win a tenth game speaks to how far the program has come the last couple of years.
“As painful as the (loss) is, these players have changed the trajectory of this program,” said interim head coach Kevin Partrick, who joined Alex Golesh’s staff in December 2022 as the defensive line coach in his third stint at USF. “A lot of things didn’t go our way today, but the love they have for each other is the biggest thing we got out of this year. We got better as men.”
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