PITTSBURGH ? Pittsburgh found the right fuel for coach Todd Graham's "high octane" offense: Ray Graham.
The junior running back rushed for 226 yards and two scores as the Panthers crushed No. 16 South Florida 44-17 on Thursday night, ending the Bulls' surprising September with a familiar thud.
"I felt we really executed that Pitt offense," Graham said, "the high-octane offense that we have here. We finally did it."
And just in time for the Panthers (3-2, 1-0 Big East), who were coming off crushing losses to Iowa and Notre Dame ? games Pitt led in the fourth quarter.
A sixth straight loss to a ranked opponent on national television would have quickly turned up the heat on Todd Graham. Instead, it's the Bulls who were left with an identity crisis of sorts after the Panthers rolled up 307 yards on the ground.
"Physically I don't know that we were ready to accept the challenge that we were dealt today," said USF coach Skip Holtz.
The Bulls (4-1, 0-1) wore down under the onslaught. Pitt controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes, ran 91 plays and hit the gas in the second half.
"We had two absolutely ridiculous losses the previous two weeks, and we just said that we weren't going to let this happen again," Pitt defensive end Chas Alexcih said. "So, we came out in the second half and made some plays."
USF did not. The Bulls turned it over twice in the fourth quarter to snuff out any hint of a comeback.
"It was an old-fashioned tail whipping is what it was," Holtz said.
The Bulls came in with their fourth 4-0 start in the last five seasons. All that early promise, however, dissolved in the fall. None of the previous hot starts ended with a Big East title and a Bowl Championship Series berth.
The Bulls were hoping this is the year they finally break through. They survived against Notre Dame in the season opener, taking advantage of five turnovers to stun the Fighting Irish in South Bend.
Romps over Ball State, Florida A&M and UTEP followed. The Bulls viewed their trip to Heinz Field as a chance to show the nation they're a legit threat to perennial conference power West Virginia.
On Thursday, it was Pitt that looked like the real thing.
"We really played a physical football game," Todd Graham said. "We made great strides tonight because we finally played a complete football game."
His star running back led the way, churning so hard even LeBron James noticed.
The NBA superstar took to Twitter to praise Graham, calling him "a beast."
Call James among the latest group of believers in the junior, a group that includes Holtz, who didn't hesitate to praise Graham for the way he repeatedly slashed his way through the Bulls' defense.
"Once he got in space, he'd make you miss," Holtz said. "He's quicker than he is fast and he's very elusive. ... If he can get on the perimeter, he can hurt you."
Graham's 13-yard touchdown gave Pitt the lead for good late in the first half and his 8-yard sprint up the middle early in the fourth quarter sealed it as the Panthers broke a five-game losing streak against ranked opponents.
"I thought it was his best performance," Todd Graham said. "He's a complete back."
The junior added four receptions for 42 yards and even returned kickoffs, a duty he insisted on after the Panthers struggled in the return game early.
"The kid's competitiveness is off the charts," Todd Graham said.
Pitt kept USF's BJ Daniels under wraps all night. One of the nation's top duel-threat quarterbacks couldn't get it going with his arm or legs. Daniels ran for 43 yards __ almost all of it coming on a last-gasp drive ? and completed 18 of 36 passes for 223 mostly ineffective yards.
The Panthers hadn't beaten a ranked opponent since handling the then 10th-ranked Bulls in 2008. Five straight losses against quality competition followed, helping lead to former coach Dave Wannstedt's retirement at the end of last season.
Todd Graham came in promising to put together the kind of fireworks lacking during the end of the Wannstedt era. Graham has dubbed his system "high octane" and after a month of sputtering, the Panthers delivered a dynamic performance.
"I've said all along we've got a good football team," Graham said. "We are developing something really special, but we have a long way to go."
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