“Gas Pipe” will make his first and only college start at quarterback in Wednesday’s Cure Bowl. It’s a career highlight South Florida’s Gaston Moore never expected six months ago, after four years as a backup at Tennessee and satisfied his football days were over.
The Bulls and Old Dominion end the year at Orlando’s Camping World Stadium. Kickoff is at 5 p.m., and ESPN will telecast the game nationally. Both teams will vie for a 10th victory.
Moore, a sixth-year senior, will be QB1 in place of record-setting Byrum Brown, who is opting out while he considers his future. Brown will be at the game, assisting the coaching staff led by interim head coach Kevin Patrick.
ALSO READ: USF quarterback Byrum Brown opts out of Cure Bowl but will 'coach' on sidelines
He’ll step into the No. 2-ranked offense in yards per game (501.7) and scoring (43) in Football Bowl Subdivision. Brown was the catalyst, becoming only the 12th player in FBS to pass for 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 yards in a season.
Patrick and Moore’s teammates will tell you Moore is prepared for his moment.
“I think he's impressed people,” said Patrick, who is running the sideline because Alex Golesh bolted for Auburn hours after the season-ending 52-3 victory over Rice. “We had a phenomenal player in Byrum, and I think Byrum would tell you the same thing. These guys will share it — he's impressed us all year.”
Patrick says fans will be impressed with Moore’s confidence – and arm.
“There have been many times I’ve sat back and thought, ‘Did you see that throw? It was unbelievable,’ ” Patrick said. “He's played a lot of ball. He's not a young guy, but I’ve been impressed. I get to sit back behind the quarterback sometimes and see some throws — he's impressive.”
But why “Gas Pipe”? Most Rocky Toppers point to a game last November against Mississippi State, and Moore was called to replace injured starter Nico Iamaleava at halftime. A locker room video shared on social media shows Heupel tell the team, “8’s out right now, We got Gas Pipe. Let’s go.”
USF graduate offensive lineman Cole Best says the Bulls have “full faith” in Moore.
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“He’s done a phenomenal job all year, being ready to go,” Best said. “Everybody on this team loves him. He's a super competitive guy. He's really serious about his work and he understands what it takes. … I'm really excited for him to have this opportunity and go out and showcase his skills in this game.”
Moore signed in 2020 with Central Florida, where Golesh was co-offensive coordinator under Heupel. After redshirting that season, he followed Heupel and Golesh to UT. At both schools, he sat behind some big-name recruits. At UCF, it was Dillon Gabriel. At UT, the QBs included Joe Milton III, Hendon Hooker and Iamaleava.
So, playing time was limited. He came off the bench in 14 games, threw 64 passes and three touchdowns – one in that second half against Mississippi State.
After four seasons in Knoxville, he hit the transfer portal again but was unsuccessful in finding the right fit. So, he used his freshly printed bachelor’s degree in supply chain management to get a job in sales with a trucking company in his native South Carolina.
A few months later, he accepted an offer from Golesh, who needed a quarterback after Bryce Archie decided to play pro baseball. Archie had started eight games for an injured Brown in 2024.
“Even I know how crazy this story is, but I'm approaching it like another football game and I'm absolutely going to play my heart out,” Moore said.
ALSO READ: Take a look at the renderings for USF's new football training complex
Moore saw action in seven games with the Bulls, completing 14 of 20 for 54 yards. His lone touchdown came late in the Rice game after Brown reached the 3,000/1,000 milestone.
Next: The unlikely rewrite of Gas Pipe’s college career ends where it began, in Orlando.
Old Dominion faces a similar predicament at quarterback, with redshirt freshman Quinn Henicle starting in place of Colton Joseph, the Sun Belt Conference offensive player of the year. Joseph, a redshirt sophomore, is opting out and entering the transfer portal.
Henicle has made one start. He ran for 206 yards and two scores in the 2024 finale, a 40-32 win over Arkansas State. USF’s defense can expect more of the same as he fills in for a 1,000-yard rusher in Joseph.
The Monarchs closed the year on a five-game win streak.
“It’s a really good Old Dominion team, you know, very similar to who we are,” Patrick said.
Cure Bowl Facts
- Who: Old Dominion Monarchs (9-3, 6-2 in Sun Belt Conference) vs. South Florida Bulls (9-3, 6-2 in American Conference)
- When/where: Wednesday at 5 p.m. / Camping World Stadium, Orlando
- TV/radio/stream: ESPN / WRBQ-104.7 FM/ BullsUnlimited
- Tickets: https://www.curebowl.com/tickets/
Key stats:
- USF offense averages 501.7 yards and 43 per game (both stats 2nd in FBS).
- USF defense gives up 385.2 yards per game (81st) and 23.3 points per game (55th).
- ODU offensive averages 460.8 yards per game (15th) and 32.7 points per game (29th).
- ODU defense gives up 331.4 yards per game (32nd) and 19.3 points per game (21st).
- USF ranks 16th in third-down percentage, converting 47.9%.
- ODU ranks 81st with a minus-2 turnover margin, compared to USF’s 12th-ranked plus-9
- ODU is 118th in red zone offense, scoring on 76.8% of trips. USF defense ranks 16th at 75.5%.
- Both teams rank low in average possession time. USF is 135th at 25:07, while ODU is116th at 28:05.
- A USF victory give the Bulls double-digit wins for the third time in school history.
Team leaders:
- USF Passing: Byrum Brown, 3,158 yards, 28 TDs, 7 INTs, 66.3%
- USF Rushing: Brown, 1,008 yards on 175 carries, 14 TDs
- USF Receiving: Keshaun Singleton, 877 yards on 50 catches, 8 TDs
- ODU Passing: Colton Joseph, 2,624 yards, 21 TDs, 10 INTs, 59.7 completion percentage
- ODU Rushing: Joseph, 1,010 yards on 157 carries, 13 TDs
- ODU Receiving: Tre' Brown III, 751 yards on 37 catches, 4 TDs
