12 p.m. | ESPN
Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida
SERIES HISTORY
The StaffDNA Cure Bowl marks the first meeting between the Bobcats and Gamecocks. Both teams are coming off conference championship victories, defeating opponents they fell to earlier in the season by 35 and 40-point margins, respectively.
Ohio Bobcats Notes
THE OPENING KICK
The Ohio football team (10-3, 7-1 MAC) is set to take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (9-4, 7-1 CUSA) in the 10th StaffDNA Cure Bowl on Friday, December 20. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET at Camping World Stadium and can be seen on ESPN with Brian Custer, Rod Gilmore and Lauren Sisler on the call The Bobcats’ matchup will be covered on two radio broadcasts. Fans can tune in on Ohio Sports Network from Learfield, presented by Holzer Health System, as they have been all season. Veteran Ohio radio personality Marty Bannister is stepping into the 2024 play-byplay role and will be joined by Rob Cornelius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for two decades. Additionally, Bowl Season’s radio crew will be on-site, with Jamie Seh, Rene Ingoglia and Despina Barton on the call.
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE
The Gamecocks are currently 9-4 overall and 7-1 against Conference USA opponents, coming off a dominant 52-12 victory over Western Kentucky to claim their first CUSA championship title. Senior quarterback Tyler Huff set a CUSA Championship Game record with 167 yards on the ground, earning him Championship Game MVP accolades. As a team, Jacksonville State averages 36.69 points per game on 267.3 rushing yards and 177.08 passing yards. Their opponents average 25.85 points per game, 170.2 rushing yards and 215.46 passing yards. Huff leads the Gamecocks’ offense, going 157-for-259 with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions on 2,179 yards in 13 games. The quarterback is an established threat on the ground as well and is second on the team in carries (215), rushing yards (1,343) and rushing touchdowns (14). Additionally, he recorded the team’s third-longest rush on the season (51 yds). Fellow senior quarterback Logan Smothers has made appearances in seven games this season and is currently 11- for-19 in the air. Senior running back Tre Stewart leads Jacksonville State on the ground, with 264 touches and 23 touchdowns on 1,604 rushing yards. Stewart also claims the longest rush of the season (75 yds), while Smothers owns the second-longest rush (72 yds). On seven attempts, he’s accumulated 175 yards. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Cam Vaughn leads the way with four touchdowns on 620 yards. Redshirt junior wide receiver Michael Pettway and redshirt senior tight end Sean Brown both contributed three touchdowns apiece, with Pettway claiming the team’s longest reception of the year (92 yds). On the defensive side of the ball, graduate student safety Antonio Carter II has 103 tackles— including 53 solo stops and 4.5 tackles for loss—one sack and one interception. Junior safety Fred Perry trails with 97 total tackles and is third in tackles for loss (9). Senior defensive lineman J-Rock Swain leads the team with 10 tackles for loss while redshirt junior linebacker Reginald Hughes has a team-best 4.5 sacks and sits just behind Swain with 9.5 tackles for loss. Redshirt freshman safety Zechariah Poyser has three picks, eight pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Redshirt freshman kicker Garrison Rippa is 14- for-19 on field goals, with his longest clocking in at 51 yards. Additionally, he’s accumulated 5,129 yards on 86 kickoffs, averaging 59.6 yards per kick. Senior punter Jack Dawson has 48 punts on the season, currently sitting at 2,020 total yards.
LAST TIME OUT
For the first time since 1968, the Ohio football team won the Mid-American Conference Championship on Saturday afternoon (Dec. 7). Ohio defeated Miami 38-3, marking the largest margin of victory in a MAC Championship. It was also the first time a team had ever been held to no touchdowns in a Championship game. Miami’s longest drive of the first half came right after kickoff, but after that lone field goal, Ohio was off to the races. Ohio possessed the ball for just over 13 minutes of the first half, with all three drives resulting in touchdowns. The Bobcats’ first touchdown was a 4-yard keeper by graduate student quarterback Parker Navarro. The second, also by Navarro, came on a 1-yard rush. The second touchdown was also the result of Ohio’s longest drive of the season – 18 plays for 82 yards over 10 minutes and 14 seconds. Navarro ended the afternoon 20-for-27 in the air for 235 yards and two touchdowns. He also collected 73 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Navarro was the Offensive Player of the Game. That drive was made possible with the leg work of graduate student running back Anthony Tyus III, who charged through the RedHawks’ defense for 34 yards on eight carries. Tyus ended the afternoon with 151 total rushing yards on 27 attempts. Miami’s most substantial drive of the second quarter ended in one set of downs. Ohio came out of the locker room with the same fire in the second half. For the fourth-straight drive, Ohio found the endzone on a 25- yard reception by graduate student Coleman Owen. The Bobcats scored on the next drive, too. However, this time it was a career-long field goal for sophomore kicker Gianni Spetic. His 52-yard boot beat his previous best of 46 yards, set earlier this season at Central Michigan. Spetic ended the afternoon 1-for-1 and 5-for-5 in PATs and was named the Special Teams Player of the Game. Graduate student linebacker Blake Leake led Ohio with eight tackles. Redshirt junior linebacker Shay Taylor and redshirt senior cornerback Roman Parodie followed close behind with five each. Redshirt junior defensive end Bradley Weaver earned the Defensive Player of the Game nomination for his contributions as well, which included a tackle for a loss of four yards. Senior cornerback Tank Pearson’s interception saved what would have been a Miami touchdown in the beginning of the fourth quarter. That made way for Tyus, who scurried into the endzone to punctuate the Bobcats’ victory.
SCOUTING OHIO
The Bobcats are currently 10-3 overall and 7-1 against MAC opponents, coming off their first MAC Championship victory in 56 years. They average 29.23 points per game on 212.2 rushing yards and 187.69 passing yards per game.
BREAKING THE 50+ YEAR CHAMPIONSHIP DROUGHT
Prior to Dec. 7, 2024, Ohio’s last MAC Championship was om 1968. With this year’s victory, Ohio owns six conference championship titles as a program. Ohio won in dominant fashion, claiming the largest margin of victory in a MAC Championship game (35 points). Additionally, the Bobcats held the RedHawks to just one field goal in the first quarter, marking the first time a team hasn’t scored a touchdown in a MAC Championship.
BOBCATS MAKING HISTORY (AGAIN)
For the first time in program history, the Ohio football program logged nine regular-season victories and 10-win overall seasons in three consecutive years (2022-24).
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Notes
Quick Hits
• The 2024 season marks the second year as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Conference USA for Jax State. The Gamecocks posted a 6-2 record last season in Conference USA play which was their first season as members of the league and followed it up with a 7-1 mark this season. • Jax State is bowl-eligible in each of its first two FBS seasons, becoming the first team to reach bowl games in each of its first two seasons at the FBS level since Marshall in 1997 and 1998. It would be the first program to win its first two Bowl games in its first two years of eligibility. • The Gamecocks won the Conference USA championship game in their firstyear eligible to do so with a win over Sam Houston. Jax State was the 13th different school to host the Conference USA title game in 20 years. • Jax State is making its second appearance in a Bowl game in as many seasons at the FBS level, becoming the first team since Marshall (1998) to appear in two Bowl games in their first two seasons. • This will be the seventh time this season the Gamecocks have played a game that was not on a Saturday. They won both of their previous Friday games this season and went 4-0 during “Weekday CUSA” in October. • The Cure Bowl marks a program-record 11th nationally televised game this season for Jax State. • The Gamecocks are one of four Conference USA teams playing in Bowl games this season. • Only the Cure Bowl and Independence Bowl feature two conference champions.
The Gamecocks By The Numbers
2 – Jax State is one of two teams that have two individuals ranked in the top 25 of FBS in rushing touchdowns (Notre Dame).
6 – Jax State registered six tackles for loss in the Conference USA Championship.
6.89 – Average yards per rush by Jax State in the Conference USA Championship, which was the third-highest in a game by the team this year.
7.33 – Over the last three games, the Jax State defense has held opponents to an average of 7.33 points per game in the second half.
7.8 – Points responsible per game by freshman kicker Garrison Rippa.
8 – Jax State had eight of their 10 drives last at least six plays with all but one of those ending in points.
9 – Jax State has won nine games in each of the last three seasons.
10 – Jax State has outrushed its opponent in 10 straight games.
15 – A win would clinch the 15th season of 10+ wins in Jax State history and the first since 2020.
17.9 – Average margin of victory at home this season.
22 – Number of touchdowns of 20+ yards this season, the most in a Jax State season since 2018.
26 – Jax State won its 26th conference championship in program history with the Conference USA title game win.
200 –Tre Stewart has rushed for 200 or more yards in a game three times, which is the second-most nationally (Ashton Jeanty).
300 – Total first downs this season, the eighth-most nationally.
444.4 – Yards per game by Jax State this season which is fourth-best in program history.
3,475 – Jax State rushing yards this season which is seventh-most in program history.
Gamecocks Bowl Bid A Rare Feat
Jax State’s appearance in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl was a rare feat for teams playing their first season of FBS competition after transitioning. The Gamecocks become just the fifth team since 1957 to appear in a bowl game in their first season and the first since 1997. Jax State took down Louisiana in an overtime thriller to become the first team to win a bowl in year one at the FBS level. Here are all five bowl appearances by teams in their first season of FBS.
Smashmouth Football
The Gamecocks have recorded 300+ rushing yards in five games this season, highlighted by 438 on 55 carries (8.0 yards per carry) against Middle Tennessee. The 438 rushing yards are the fourth-most in a game by a team this year. In the Conference USA Championship, Jax State posted 386 rushing yards for their fourth-straight game of 200+ rushing yards.
Full Speed Ahead
Jax State boasts the 13th-fastest offense in FBS this season. The Gamecocks are averaging a play every 23.4 seconds. On the road, the tempo goes to a play every 21.6 seconds which is fifth-fastest.
Second-Half Magic
Jax State has scored 31 second half touchdowns in their 13 games this season. Twice this season, the Gamecocks have overcome a second half deficit to force overtime. Jax State trailed by 11 to start the fourth quarter at Eastern Michigan and connected on a 51-yard field goal with 34 seconds left to tie the game. At LA Tech, Cam Vaughn hauled in a 49-yard pass from Tyler Huff in the end zone on the final play of regulation to tie the contest. Against FIU, the Gamecocks trailed by four to start the fourth quarter and got a pair of 56-yard touchdowns to come away with the win. In the second half this season, Jax State is 16th in scoring at 16.9 points per game.
Fresh Turnovers
The Gamecocks are 16th in the FBS heading into Bowl season in takeaways with a total of 22. Their 11 fumble recoveries are seventh-most nationally and their 11 interceptions is 48th-most. Last season, Jax State ranked in both the top ten in the FBS in both forced fumbles (9th) with 15 and interceptions (5th) with 16. The Gamecocks are tied for the ninth most turnovers gained last season.
Gamecocks Running For 100
The Gamecocks have run for over 100 yards in 36 of the 37 games over the last three seasons, including 19 games of over 200 yards, seven with over 300 rushing yards and one with over 500. Jax State has now rushed for 100 yards in 123 of its 135 games since 2013 and has run for at least 100 yards in 40 of its last 41 games.
Seeing Red
The Gamecocks lead Conference USA in red zone offense, scoring on 90.2% of their trips with 39 touchdowns in 51 trips. Jax State also boasts the No. 2 red zone defense in the league, highlighted by a conference-best seven red zone turnovers.
30+ Points Equals a Win
Since 2000, Jax State is 134-15 when scoring 30 or more points in a game. Jax State is 78-4 at Burgess-Snow Field since 2003 when putting up 30-plus points and is 23-1 since 2022 when hitting the 30-point mark.
