Old Dominion Monarchs Knock Off South Florida Bulls In StaffDNA Cure Bowl
Quinn Henicle walked onto the field Wednesday night looking every bit like a guy making only his second career start. There were nerves. There was a fumble. There was that “uh-oh” feeling in the pit of every Old Dominion fan’s stomach. But college football is rarely about how you start; it’s about how you finish.
And Henicle? He finished like a seasoned vet.
Shaking off a rocky opening act, the redshirt freshman quarterback rallied the troops, found his legs, and powered Old Dominion to a gritty 24-10 victory over South Florida in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium. It wasn’t always pretty, but for the Monarchs (10-3), it was a milestone night, marking their first 10-win season since 2016.
A Shaky Start For Old Dominion
The game script didn’t exactly begin with fireworks for the Monarchs. With starting Quarterback Colton Joseph announcing his transfer plans, the keys were tossed to Henicle. USF (9-4) wasted no time testing Heincle, as Safety Jarvis Lee came crashing in on a rush, forcing a backward fumble that Safety Fred Gaskin scooped and returned 22 yards.
It was a nightmare scenario. But the defense held firm, limiting the damage to a 28-yard field goal by USF Kicker Nico Gramatica. That 3-0 deficit could have spiraled, but instead, it seemed to wake Henicle up.
Henicle Finds His Footing
Redemption came quickly. Henicle engineered a 10-play drive that culminated in him tucking the ball and sprinting six yards into the end zone. It was his first rushing touchdown of the year.
USF punched back briefly, retaking the lead at 10-7 after a 31-yard touchdown pass from Gaston Moore to Jeremiah Koger. But that would be the high-water mark for the Bulls. The rest of the night belonged to the Monarchs’ defense and Henicle’s resilience.
Defense Wins Championships (and Bowl Games)
While Henicle was finding his rhythm, the Old Dominion defense was busy slamming the door shut. The Monarchs picked off Moore twice, capitalizing on USF’s mistakes with ruthless efficiency.
After a turnover on downs from a botched field goal snap threatened to kill momentum, Defensive Back Jerome Carter snagged an interception on the very first pass of the second half. Three plays later, Running Back Trequan Jones breezed into the end zone untouched from 22 yards out. Suddenly, it was 14-10, and you could feel the energy shift on the sidelines.
USF tried to claw back, but the night just wasn’t going their way. Gramatica missed his second field goal of the game, a career first, and the Bulls’ offense sputtered.
Closing Out the win
The dagger came late. After surviving a scary moment where Henicle fumbled following a brutal hit, Old Dominion added a field goal to make it 17-10.
Then, Henicle put the exclamation point on his breakout performance. With the game in the balance, he broke loose for a 51-yard touchdown run, leaving defenders in the dust and sealing the win. He finished with 227 total yards and two scores on the ground. Not bad for start number two.
For USF, the loss extends a painful streak in Orlando, dating back to 2015. But for Old Dominion, the bus ride home is going to feel a whole lot sweeter with that trophy on board.
