The best of the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA clash in Orlando, Florida with a bit of bowl history in the balance
The best of the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA clash in Orlando, Florida with a bit of bowl history in the balance.
Both conferences are still looking to hoist the hardware for the first time in Cure Bowl history, with both the MAC and Conference USA sitting at an 0-2 record. However, the fine folks at the Cure Bowl put together a matchup which will ensure, in the words of Chris Berman, one conference gets “off the schneid” with the win.
The Cure Bowl will be unique even amongst its postseason peers, presenting as the only bowl which pits conference champs against one another when the Ohio Bobcats (10-3, 7-1 MAC) square off against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (9-4, 7-1 CUSA).
From the 10,000-foot view, the squads enter the contest living parallel lives this season.
In addition to winning the conference championship, they have identical conference records at 7-1. Ohio and JSU also avenged their only conference loss in blowout fashion with wins in their respective championship games. Finally, each team dominates the ground game on offense, featuring the best conference rushing duos at running back and quarterback in their respective leagues.
Looking at the teams at ground level though, we see each has its own identity and we will delve into some of the nuances and what to expect as part of our review after the game notes.
Game notes
- Time and date: Friday, December 20th, 2024 at 12 p.m. (noon) Eastern time
- Location: Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida
- TV network options: The game will be available exclusively on ESPN. A valid subscription is required for viewing.
- Gambling considerations: DraftKings has Ohio favored by five points, with an over/under of 56.5.
- All-Time Series: First meeting
- Bowl Mission: The Orlando Sports Foundation – The Orlando Sports Foundation
Getting to know the Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images
Head Coach Rich Rodriguez recently resigned to accept the same position with his home team, the West Virginia Mountaineers. Although somewhat brief, Rodriguez’s three-year stint with the Gamecocks will go down in history as a critical chapter which marked their highly successful transition from FCS to FBS. During his tenure, Rodriguez’s teams combined for a 27-10 record, including a bowl win in their first FBS season and a conference championship in only the second season of CUSA play.
As sad as JSU might be to see Rodriguez leave, the Gamecocks are undoubtedly in very capable hands in this game with offensive coordinator Rod Smith taking over as interim coach. I wouldn’t expect much to change philosophically, as the squad ranks second in the nation this year with 267 rushing yards per game and 12th with just under 37 points per game.
At its core, the Gamecocks are a ground tempo team that runs the rock at a lovely 69 percent rate.
Despite all the misdirection baked into the play calls, when the ball is snapped and it is a running play, it will likely end up in the talented hands of either quarterback Tyler Huff or running back Tre Stewart.
Stewart is ranked third nationally in both rushing touchdowns (23) and rushing yards (1,604), playing bigger than his five-foot-ten inch, 190-pound frame suggests is possible. He was an effective weapon in the red zone as well, leading the league in rushing scores in conference play (19).
Adding to Stewart’s monster threat is Huff, who gives opponents headaches in the rushing game as a dual-threat signalcaller. Huff is ranked second nationally in both QB rushing attempts (215) and yards rushing (1,343). Like Stewart, Huff has a nose for the end zone, setting the single season conference record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 14.
Stylistically, Huff is a different runner than his Ohio counterpart Parker Navarro, as Huff is more of a bruiser at times while Navarro leans more towards an elusive approach, dodging and spinning away from danger.
Paving the way for Huff and Stewart is an offensive line that is among the best in CUSA, featuring a dominant left side with two first-team all-CUSA talents in tackle Will O’Steen and guard Clay Webb.
While clearly the team’s bread and butter is the ground game, Huff and company provide a nice counter through the air, ranking 48th nationally in passing efficiency offense. Overall, Huff enters the contest with 2,179 yards passing with 13 touchdowns, taking care of the ball too with only six interceptions. Huff’s primary passing target is freshman wideout Cam Vaughn, who leads the club in major statistics, including 39 catches for 620 yards and four touchdowns. Vaughn has appeared in the transfer portal, and it is unclear at this time if he will play although he is still on the roster right now.
Joining Vaughn is wideout Michael Pettway, whose 18.2 yards per catch this year is fourth- best in the conference.
On the other side of the ball, Jacksonville State’s defense runs a base 3-3-5 scheme. The crew has been notable nationally in a few areas, including ranking 17th in turnovers gained with 22 and tied 13th in red zone defense.
Looking at the defensive stats requires some context because JSU’s offensive tempo strategy results in a national ranking in time of possession of 119th, which means more series played by its defense.
That noted, the Gamecocks rank middle of the pack in conference games, finishing fifth out of 10 teams per game in points (22), total yards allowed (366), and rushing yards allowed (166).
The last stat is the key for JSU’s defense, as Ohio’s rushing attack is one of the more productive units nationally, ranking 12th overall at 211 yards per game.
The defense may be missing a few players due to the portal but they also return several stars. JSU will likely be without first team all-conference linebacker Reginald Hughes, as he is not on the active roster and is in the transfer portal.
First-team all-conference player nickel Fred Perry leads the squad with 97 tackles, adding three sacks and two each of passes defensed and forced fumbles. Perry reportedly will enter the transfer portal, but is still on the active roster and may play against Ohio.
Second team all-conference defensive end J-Rock Swain will be there against Ohio and is tied for second on the squad with 3.5 sacks. Patrolling the defense behind Swain will be all-conference honorable mention linebacker Laletia Hale, who also has 3.5 sacks this year to go with 74 tackles and three forced fumbles.
About the Ohio Bobcats
Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
The ‘Cats have put together a historical season, winning the program’s first conference championship in 56 years in Detroit two weeks ago— a victory made all the sweeter by blowing out their bitter rivals Miami.
With the win, Ohio is also on one of its most prolific streaks to date, winning 10 games or more in a season for three straight years for the first time in program history.
Key in the success was the tireless work by former head coach Tim Albin and his staff and players. Albin was the Bobcats offensive coordinator for the first 16 years of his Ohio tenure under recent College Football Hall of Fame inductee Frank Solich. After Solich’s retirement, Albin took the reins as head coach, compiling over the past three seasons an impressive resume including a 30-10 record, with two bowl wins, and that until-now elusive MAC championship.
Coach Albin left shortly after the championship for the head coaching opportunity with the Charlotte 49ers. Ohio is still in great shape though, having recently promoted their offensive coordinator Brian Smith to head coach.
Like JSU’s offense, Smith’s offense has leaned on the running game, though it’s slightly more balanced with a 62 percent run ratio. The formula plays to their strengths, as Ohio is ranked first in the MAC in scoring offense at just under 30 points per contest.
Unlike the Gamecocks, Ohio is not necessarily a tempo team— though they are capable of running fast. In fact, the ‘Cats are content to methodically move the ball down the field, ranking 11th nationally in time of possession with over 32 minutes a contest.
Ohio’s ground game is rooted in a duo who are the conference’s most productive starting with former Orlando resident and UCF Knights quarterback Parker Navarro. The transfer quarterback took the MAC by storm in his first starting season, leading the conference in rushing touchdowns (15) and yards per carry (6.5)
Adding in major fashion to Navarro’s threat is former Northwestern running back Anthony Tyus III, who leads the conference with 1,111 rushing yards. To add some context to how prolific Tyus III has been this year, he needs only 15 yards rushing to pass Steveland Hookfin for the eighth-best single season rushing total in program history.
When Navarro has gone to the air, he has completed 65 percent of his throws for 2,169 yards and 12 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. The ‘Cats typically run a complement of slants, hitches, and other short routes but will take some deep shots too.
Many of those shots go to first-team all-MAC wideout Coleman Owen, who enters with 1,105 yards receiving on 67 catches with eight touchdowns. Like Tyus III, Coleman is having one of the best campaigns in Bobcats history, needing just 42 yards to claim the top spot in yards in a single season. Coleman also needs eight catches to claim the most receptions in a season.
As Miami learned in the championship game, the Bobcats have options other than Coleman who can step up such as Chase Hendricks, who had a season best seven catches for 61 yards against the RedHawks.
A key matchup in this one will be Ohio’s defense against Jax State’s rushing game.
Under the guidance of defensive coordinator John Hauser and the defensive staff, the ‘Cats defense has been the bedrock all season and are arguably the best in the country at its level of competition with the numbers bearing that out. Nationally, Ohio is among the best in per game averages ranking fifth in the fewest rushing yards allowed (94), eight in total defense (295) and 11th in fewest points (17.5).
Up front, the Bobcats feature a diverse and deep group led by first-team all-MAC defensive end Bradley Weaver, who was awarded defensive MVP in the 2024 championship game.
At the second level are a pair of third-team all-MAC performers in linebackers Blake Leake and Shay Taylor. Leake leads the squad with 84 tackles. Taylor has come on strong after an early season injury, showing versatility in the run and pass game with 69 tackles, four passes defensed, three sacks, and an interception.
Should the Bobcats need to devote more resources to stopping the ground game, Ohio has one of the MAC’s top defensive back rooms to guard against the pass led by second-team all-MAC safety/nickel DJ Walker, who enters with 51 tackles and seven passes defensed. Corner Tank Pearson leads the club with four interceptions while Roman Parodie is tops with nine passes defensed,
The return from injury of versatile safety Adonis Williams Jr. has solidified the group during the back half of the season.
On a final note, as of this writing, Ohio has no players in the transfer portal so it should be all-hands-on-deck for the Bobcats in Orlando.
Final Thoughts
At its heart, the game pits an unstoppable force in the Jax State rushing offense against an immovable object in the form of the Ohio defense.
The Bobcats defense played its best football in the championship game holding the conference’s then-leading rusher Keyon Mozee to a nearly harmless 28 yards on 11 carries.
However, the Gamecocks present a very unique challenge for the Bobcats, as Ohio hasn’t faced a rushing attack in a game as good as this one with unique features like tempo and a prolific, physical running quarterback like Huff.
Factoring into the equation is if the Bobcats offense can drum up another helping of complementary football to keep JSU’s juggernaut offense on the sideline while Ohio marches methodically down the field.
A final key component of the equation is turnovers, where the Gamecocks have been great at forcing them while Ohio has regularly surrendered them with 20 which is ranked 97th in the FBS this year.
Whoever can hold on to the ball while running the best will likely add the Cure Bowl hardware to the trophy case.