College Football
2022 Vrbo Citrus Bowl: Kentucky Wildcats Dominate Iowa Hawkeyes, 20-17
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – The Kentucky Wildcats and Iowa Hawkeyes clashed hard for the Vrbo Citrus Bowl trophy before a roaring audience of over 50,700 fans at Camping World Stadium Saturday.
First Half
Kentucky got on the board first in the first quarter with Will Levis’s five-yard touchdown pass to Chris Rodriguez, and the defense ensured Iowa didn’t score at all in the first.
It’s worth noting that Kentucky’s defense needed to protect quarterback Will Levis a bit more, though. He first sack came in the first quarter.
Iowa finally got on the board early in the second quarter with a 28-yard field goal from Caleb Shudak at just over 11 minutes.
Though there were no touchdowns in the second quarter, Kentucky dominated the board.
Kentucky quarterback Will Levis got sacked twice in the second for a loss of eight yards each, but he made up for his second sack on the very next play.
On the third down, he threw a 34-yard bomb to wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, who simultaneously nullified the 26 yards needed for the next first down plus gained eight for Kentucky. With 2:45 left in the first half, Kentucky’s Matt Ruffolo kicked a 21-yard field goal on the fourth down, since Iowa defense blocked the run game–which Kentucky quarterback Will Levis attempted himself.
Just as the clock hit zero for halftime, Iowa’s final play, Spencer Petras’ touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta, was intercepted by Kentucky’s Quandre Mosely right in the end zone, conveniently switching possession to Kentucky for third quarter.
Kentucky Wildcats #10 wide receiver Chauncey Magwood is unable to hold onto a pass as Iowa Hawkeyes #33 defensive back Riley Moss defends during the second half of the Vrbo Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, January 1, 2022. (Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News)
Second Half
With 3:21 left in the third quarter, Iowa finally got on the board with their first touchdown, courtesy of Arland Bruce IV running the ball 20 yards into the end zone. With the successful extra point, Iowa shrank Kentucky’s lead to 13-10.
Iowa scored their next touchdown–and snatched the lead–in the fourth quarter with just under 11 minutes left in the game, thanks to Spencer Petras’ successful 36-yard touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta, making the score 17-13.
Kentucky Wildcats #1 Wan ‘Dale Robinson ran into the end zone for a touchdown was nullified due to a false start penalty on Kentucky during the Vrbo Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, January 1, 2022. (Photo by Harry Castiblanco / Florida National News)
When the win looked sure for Iowa, Kentucky made the ultimate comeback with Will Levis’s 52-yard pass to Wan’Dale Robinson who ran it into the end zone for a touchdown. In a pulse-pounding moment, the touchdown was nullified due to a false start penalty on Kentucky.
On the next play, Kentucky doubled down and got the touchdown for real thanks to Chris Rodriguez’s five-yard rush with 1:48 left in the fourth, reclaiming the lead, 20-17.
To add insult to injury, on Iowa’s following possession, Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras’ pass got intercepted by Deandre Square with just 48 seconds left in the game.
In the end, the Kentucky Wildcats nabbed the Vrbo Citrus Bowl trophy from the jaws of near-defeat, 20-17.
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Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com
Bulls overcome early deficit behind defensive touchdowns and a record-tying performance from C.J. Hicks.
TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The University of South Florida (USF) secured its sixth victory of the season Saturday, October 31, defeating the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) 30–10 at Raymond James Stadium. The victory improved the Bulls’ record to 6–2 overall and 2–2 in American Conference play, making the program bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive season.
Defense Turns the Game Around
UAB opened the game with a 10–0 first-quarter lead, but South Florida responded with 30 unanswered points, highlighted by two defensive touchdowns.
Defensive end C.J. Hicks delivered one of the game’s most significant performances, recording four sacks to tie the USF single-game record. Two of those sacks forced fumbles that resulted in touchdowns.
Late in the second quarter, Hicks forced a fumble by UAB quarterback Ryder Burton, allowing USF defender Asani Redwood to recover the football and return it six yards for a touchdown. The play gave South Florida a 17–10 halftime lead.
Asani Redwood and UAB #71 UAB defensive lineman #71 attempts to tackle USF’s Asani Redwood during the October 31, 2026, matchup at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News
Hicks created another scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter, forcing a second fumble that linebacker Grayson Howard recovered and returned 13 yards for a touchdown, extending USF’s lead to 27–10.
South Florida’s defense finished with six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, limiting UAB to just 177 total offensive yards, including 17 rushing yards.
Offensive Adjustments Provide Momentum
Following an injury to starting quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., sophomore Luke Kromenhoek entered the game and helped shift momentum in South Florida’s favor.
Luke Kromenhoek (#17) USF quarterback Luke Kromenhoek (#17) carries the football while facing pressure from a UAB defender during the Bulls’ 30–10 victory at Raymond James Stadium on October 31, 2026. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News
Kromenhoek finished with a career-high 92 rushing yards, including a 42-yard run that helped establish the Bulls’ offensive rhythm.
Running back Jason Collins Jr. added a six-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter to tie the game at 10–10.
Kicker Nico Gramatica contributed three field goals, connecting from 31, 30 and 33 yards to help secure the victory.
Bowl Eligibility Marks Another Program Milestone
With its sixth win, South Florida secured bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season, matching the second-longest such streak in program history.
The accomplishment allows USF to qualify for postseason bowl consideration, although an official bowl invitation and destination have yet to be determined.
The victory also kept the Bulls competitive in the American Conference standings, with four regular-season games remaining following the UAB matchup.
Looking Ahead
USF will return to conference competition Friday, November 6, traveling to face East Carolina as the Bulls continue their pursuit of a stronger conference finish and a postseason bowl invitation.
Final Score: USF 30, UAB 10
– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
Bulls move to 4-1 as Hartline turns attention toward corrections and the week ahead
TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — South Florida’s unbeaten start ended Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium as Temple defeated the Bulls 17-13. USF struck first behind a Nico Gramatica field goal but went into halftime trailing 10-3 before finding momentum after the break.
USF responded in the third quarter as D.J. Crowther’s one-yard touchdown tied the game at 10.
USF and Temple battle at the line of scrimmage. Photo Credit: Nisey Spruill / Florida National News
The Bulls’ defense added a key stop when No. 1 C.J. Hicks recovered a Temple fumble in the end zone. Gramatica later connected from 49 yards to give USF a 13-10 fourth-quarter lead. Temple answered with the defining possession of the night, driving 96 yards before quarterback No. 13 Ajani Sheppard scored on a 34-yard run to put the Owls ahead for good.
Temple’s 96-yard fourth-quarter drive became the turning point in the 17-13 finish.
Joshua Porter sprints for catch with Adrian Laing closing in for Temple. Photo Credit: Nisey Spruill / Florida National News
USF was unable to answer late, dropping to 4-1. Following the game, head coach Brian Hartline focused on returning to the film, correcting the mistakes that surfaced and making sure the Bulls use the loss to improve heading into the next week.
FINAL: Temple 17, USF 13
Up Next: USF travels to San Antonio to face UTSA on Thursday night.
– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
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