'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 2023 Cure Bowl will go down in history as one of those games that will be remembered for its dreadful weather conditions. FBC Mortgage Stadium was soaked with a steady downpour of rain. forming water puddles on the playing field. According to officials, there was already an inch of rain before the whistle blew for the kickoff, followed by another inch from the start of the game till the end.
The weather conditions certainly influenced the play between the Appalachian State Mountaineers and the Miami Redhawks in this Cure Bowl. Players were slipping and sliding on the gridiron, with chaos erupting in plays from both teams. The conditions had such an effect on the game that the Cure Bowl game saw 13 combined fumbles from both teams, the most in 35 years since 1988.
With the kind of game that was played on the University of Central Florida campus stadium, fans took to social media to make a mockery out of the 2023 Cure Bowl game and come up with many different kinds of jokes about the contest between App State and Miami (Ohio). One fan even commented that he was convinced it was a D-3 game rather than an FBS bowl game showdown:
"But y'all trying to tell me this isn't D3"
Here are a few more reactions by fans about this rain-soaked 2023 Cure Bowl that will be remembered for years to come.
App State wins the 2023 Cure Bowl
Right from the start of the game, both Appalachian State and the Miami RedHawks were seen struggling with the ball, leading them to play more cautiously and focus on ball security. This led to a first half without touchdowns as Graham Nicholson opened the scoring for the night with a 34-yard field goal for the Redhawks in the first quarter.
This was followed up by two field goals by Michael Hughes for App State, one in the first quarter and the other in the second quarter. This led the team to secure a 6-3 lead over the Redhawks at the end of the first half. App State QB Joey Aguilar scored his team's first touchdown with a 9-yard run while the RedHawks responded with a touchdown of their own within three minutes in the third quarter.
However, their chance of a comeback was lost when RB Keyon Mozee fumbled the ball with just around 2 minutes left in the game. This led to App State clinching the win with a 13-9 final score while the MAC Champions finished their season with an 11-3 overall campaign.
