In the new era of college football, bowl games have lost their touch, with the majority of players either opting out or entering the transfer portal, leaving their current school. A new development has emerged that might make Vols fans interested in the Cure Bowl.
On X, Rob Higgins, the CEO of the University of South Florida's athletics, announced that former Tennessee fan favorite quarterback Gaston Moore, or "Gas Pipe," has been named the starter for USF's game against Old Dominion in the Cure Bowl.
Bulls Nation, we wanted to share that Coach Hartline and I continue to have great conversations with Byrum Brown and his family about his future at USF. In the spirit of transparency and based off the recent coaching transition here, we mutually determined with Byrum that it’s…
— Rob Higgins (@RHiggins_USF) December 10, 2025
Gaston Moore is the Cure Bowl starter
Gaston Moore is a fun underdog story that everybody loves. He originally was a walk-on to UCF in the class of 2020 when Josh Heupel was there, but decided to follow Heupel to Knoxville. Moore spent four seasons at Tennessee, where he served primarily as the backup quarterback.
He appeared in 14 games for the Vols during his four years and put up a stat line of 26/44, 243 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Moore went viral after a video surfaced of Josh Heupel calling him by his nickname "Gas Pipe" during a halftime speech versus Mississippi State when Nico Iamaleava got hurt.
Moore reunited with Alex Golesh this offseason, as he transferred to the group of five powerhouse South Florida. He once again served as the backup quarterback, this time behind one of the most electric quarterbacks in the sport, Byrum Brown.
Moore played in seven games for the Bulls, where he put up solid numbers. The former Vols signal caller was 14/20, 54 yards, and a touchdown.
USF will play Old Dominion in the Cure Bowl on Dec. 17 at 5 p.m. ET. on ESPN. That set the stage for a must-see game, plenty of Vols fans will be tuning in to see the fan favorite make one last appearance in college football.
Ultimately, it's the players like Gas Pipe that make college sports so great. He brings the energy that pumps up teammates and fans when he's not in the game. Plus, when he is in Moore, he isn't afraid to be a gun slinger in the pocket.
When it’s all said and done, hopefully Moore tears it up in his final game. He deserves one last moment of glory.