College Football
Georgia State Wins AutoNation Cure Bowl over Western Kentucky 27-17
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – The Georgia State Panthers won the 2017 AutoNation Cure Bowl benefitting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), their first bowl victory in school history, by defeating the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 27-17, on Dec. 16 at Camping World Stadium. GSU senior quarterback Conner Manning was named the Most Valuable Player following the victory.
Playing in their second AutoNation Cure Bowl in three years, the Panthers (7-5, 5-3 Sun Belt) relied on their steady defense to stymie the Hilltoppers (6-7, 4-4 C-USA) and their passing offense that ranked ninth in the nation.
The Panthers came into the game with a defense that had already broken school-records earlier in the season, but they managed to out-do themselves, holding Western Kentucky to a net of negative-two rushing yards.
The defense also combined for six sacks, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two interceptions on the day, including one that stopped a late drive by the Hilltoppers to seal the win with 38 seconds remaining. The final pass of the game was intercepted by Chase Middleton, a junior linebacker who had a sack, a fumble recovery and six total tackles to go along with the game-ending interception.
Combining with their steady defense, the Panthers utilized a balanced offensive attack. Manning threw for 276 yards and a touchdown on 20 completions. Five Panthers had at least 27 receiving yards, including three who had over 50. Glenn Smith carried the running game with 73 yards on 23 carries, but Demarcus Kirk and Manning also contributed with 59 rushing yards combined.
After seeing little offensive action in the first half from either side, Georgia State got off to a hot start in the third quarter. Already leading 13-10 at the break, the Panthers utilized a trick play that resulted in a 42-yard touchdown pass from Manning to freshman tight end Roger Carter, increasing their lead to 10.
With the momentum on their side, the Panthers’ defense stood strong, not allowing Western Kentucky to cross midfield a single time in the third quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Panthers snuffed out a trick-play attempt from the Hilltoppers, picking off a deep pass from wide receiver Nacarius Fant.
On the ensuing drive, Georgia State put the game away, bleeding off 9:01 on the clock in the fourth quarter as Kyler Neal’s one-yard touchdown run capped off a 16-play, 74-yard drive for a 27-10 margin.
Western Kentucky quarterback Mike White. Photo by Willie David / Florida National News
The Western Kentucky offense attempted to come to life in the fourth quarter, though, with senior quarterback Mike White leading an 87-yard touchdown drive to bring his team back to within 10 points with just over two and a half minutes to play. After a three-and-out stop by the Hilltoppers defense, the offense came back out to the field with a minute and a half to play. Despite the slim chances of making a comeback, White passionately led his offense right back down the field, picking up 55 yards on three plays before throwing the game-ending interception that sealed the deal for Georgia State.
In his first-year as head coach, GSU’s Shawn Elliott was able to lead his team to its first bowl victory in just its fourth year of full eligibility in the FBS.
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
