TAMPA (AP) - Quarterback Matt Grothe directed three scoring drives before leaving a 59-0 South Florida victory over Charleston Southern with a left knee sprain on Saturday night.

The Bulls (3-0) were ahead 28-0 late in the second quarter when Grothe was hurt. He was tripped from behind by defensive tackle David Jackson, then was falling forward when he was jolted by defensive back Antwain Harvey.

Grothe, the Big East's career leader in total offense, completed 11 of 14 passes for 149 yards and two touchdowns, including a 50-yard strike to Carlton Mitchell. The quarterback also rushed five times for 24 yards, the longest for 9 on the play that sidelined him.

Redshirt freshman B.J. Daniels stepped in for Grothe, matching him with a 50-yard scoring pass to Dontavia Bogan.

A.J. Toscano was 13-for-24 for 127 yards with one interception to lead Charleston Southern (0-3).

Postgame Notes

Team Notes
- With the win over Charleston Southern, the Bulls improve their record to 3-0 for the fourth straight year and just the fifth time in the program's 13-year history.
- USF extended its winning streak against regular season non-conference opponents to 14 dating back to its 37-20 win over North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Sept. 22, 2006 ... The last regular season non-conference opponent to defeat USF was Kansas, 13-7, on Sept. 23, 2006.  
- USF's 59-0 win tonight over Charleston Southern is the first shutout since the Bulls defeated Syracuse, 27-0, on Nov. 12, 2005.
- The Bulls' 59 points was tied for the fifth most scored in a game in school history, joining the 2000 team that also logged 59 points against Austin Peay on Nov. 18, 2000.
- Tonight's 59-point win is the third largest margin of victory in school history ... It trails the 80-3 win over Kentucky Wesleyan (77 points) on Sept. 6, 1997 in the program's inaugural game, and a 66-point spread against Cumberland (69-3) on Nov. 7, 1998.
- The Bulls continue to be perfect against NCAA Football Championship Series (FCS) (formerly NCAA I-AA) teams since joining the NCAA Football Bowl Series (FBS) (formerly NCAA I-A) in 2001 ... USF improved its record to 13-0 against FCS foes, with all 13 wins coming at Raymond James Stadium.
- Following tonight's win, USF has improved its all-time record against teams currently in the Big South Conference to 9-0 ... The Bulls have only faced two teams prior to tonight from the conference with those being tonight's opponent, Charleston Southern (5-0), and Liberty (4-0) ... The Buccaneers were the last Big South foe to face the Bulls with USF coming out on top, 55-7, on Oct. 18, 2003.
- This season USF will honor former player Keeley Dorsey by wearing his No. 10  jersey ... Tonight, senior wide receiver Colby Erskin donned the jersey ... Dorsey passed away after a team conditioning workout on Jan. 17, 2007 ... This season would have been his senior year. 
- Tonight's attendance of 38,798 ends a 12-game streak of playing in front of at least 40,000 fans at Raymond James Stadium ... The last game at RJS of fewer than 40,000 came against North Carolina on Sept. 22, 2007 when 37,753 saw the Bulls and Tar Heels play. 
- USF's 21 points is tied for the second most scored in the first quarter of a game in school history ... The Bulls also scored 21 points in the first quarter against Rutgers (Nov. 5, 2005) and Austin Peay (Nov. 18, 2000.
- Tonight was the just the second time in school history that the Bulls did not register a punt ... The last time that USF did not punt in a game was on Nov. 18, 2000 vs. Austin Peay.
- USF logged 547 total yards on 73 plays ... The last time the Bulls recorded 500 yards in total offense was on Sept. 27, 2008 at North Carolina State.

Individual Notes
- QB Matt Grothe, RB Mo Plancher, S Nate Allen, LB Kion Wilson and DE George Selvie were USF's captains for tonight's game ... Captains will be announced throughout the season by coach Jim Leavitt on a game-by-game basis.
- Tonight's offensive starters were: WR Carlton Mitchell, OL Jeremiah Warren, OL Chaz Hine, C Sampson Genus, OG Zach Hermann, OT Jake Sims, TE Ben Busbee, WR Sterling Griffin, QB Matt Grothe, RB Mo Plancher, RB Lindsey Lamar
- Tonight's defensive starters were: DE Jason Pierre-Paul, DT Keith McCaskill, DE Craig Marshall, RE, George Selvie, LB Sabath Joseph, LB Kion Wilson, LB Chris Robinson, CB George Baker, CB Jerome Murphy, S Nate Allen, DB Kayvon Webster
- DE Jason Pierre-Paul started in his first career game tonight.
- LB Chris Robinson forced his first fumble of the season and the fifth of his career with 13:25 left in the first quarter ... On the same play, DB Kayvon Webster recorded his first career fumble recovery.
- QB Matt Grothe connected with WR Dontavia Bogan on a three-yard touchdown pass with 8:12 left in the first quarter ... It was Grothe's 51st career touchdown pass and Bogan's third career touchdown reception.
- Bogan would record his second touchdown pass of the season and the fourth of his career on a 50-yard pass from QB B.J. Daniels with 44 seconds left in the half ... It was Daniels' second career touchdown pass.  
- Grothe would strike again, with 6:34 on the clock, with a 50-yard touchdown pass to WR Carlton Mitchell, for his 52nd career touchdown pass ... It was Mitchell's sixth career TD reception ... In addition, it marks the second straight game that Mitchell has caught a pass of 50 yards or more ... He had receptions of 65 and 50 yards last week at Western Kentucky,
- S Nate Allen recovered a blocked field goal and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown ... The 75-yard return was the longest play of the year for the Bulls ... The touchdown was Allen's third of his career.
- Allen's return for a touchdown was the first blocked field goal for a touchdown in USF history.
- RB Mike Ford scored his first touchdown of the season with a two-yard scamper with 13:54 left in the first half ... In addition, it was his 18th career touchdown.
- QB B.J. Daniels rushed for 22 yards in the beginning of the second half, marking the longest rush of his career ... Later on that drive, Daniels would rush for a 16-yard touchdown, his second of his career. 
- Daniels would surpass his career long rush with a 23-yard run with just over a minute left in the third quarter ... On the next play he would run for a six-yard touchdown for his second of the game and the third of his career.
- Daniels rushed for 105 yards on 10 carries and one touchdown tonight against Charleston Southern ... He surpassed the 100-yard plateau on a seven-yard rush with 9:49 left in the game ... He is the first quarterback since Matt Grothe to rush for 100 yards in a game ... Grothe last did it on Oct. 27, 2007 with 146 yards on 25 carries at Connecticut ... It was also the sixth time in school history that a quarterback has rushed for 100 yards.
- Daniels would also finish the game with 10-of-13 passing for 149 yards and one touchdown.
- CB Jerome Murphy recorded his first interception of the season and the fifth of his career midway through the third quarter ... His return of 36 yards was the longest of his five interception returns.
- TE Andrew Ketchel caught his first career pass tonight from B.J. Daniels.
- RB Lindsey Lamar rushed for his second career touchdown on a two-yard run in the fourth quarter. 
- K Eric Schwartz connected on his first career field goal tonight, a 37-yard boot, with 6:28 left in the game.