PITTSBURGH (AP) — South Florida feels very comfortable when the ball is in the hands of quarterback Matt Grothe, who is as much of a threat to score to run for a touchdown as he is to throw for one.

That versatility is a necessity, Grothe said, on a team where the defense is as apt to score a game-altering touchdown as is the offense.

Grothe ran 80 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second half and South Florida shook off a sluggish start, turning three interceptions into touchdowns in a 48-37 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Nate Allen and Trae Williams scored on interception returns and Ben Moffitt's 60-yard interception return to the Pitt 1 set up Mike Ford's second touchdown run as South Florida (9-3, 4-3 in Big East) rallied from a 14-10 halftime deficit.

The Bulls outscored Pitt (4-7, 2-4) 38-23 in the second half during a school record-tying ninth victory. All of the interceptions came off freshman Pat Bostick, who threw as many scoring passes to the other team as he did his own during Pitt's seventh loss in nine games.

"It's a great momentum shift," Moffitt said, pointing to South Florida's five defensive touchdowns this season. "It just changes the whole game any time the defense can score."

The Bulls may be headed to the Sun Bowl, which is expected to take either them or No. 20 Connecticut, depending on which team is ranked higher in the next BCS rankings. UConn lost to No. 4 West Virginia 66-21 on Saturday and may fall from the Top 25.

"I don't see why we shouldn't be (the Sun Bowl pick)," Grothe said. "I think we can compete with anybody they put us against. Wherever they think best suits us, we'll have to live with it, but I think we can play with the best of the best."

The Bulls expected to go to a BCS bowl after starting 6-0, but close losses to Rutgers (30-27), UConn (22-15) and Cincinnati (38-33) dropped them out of the Top 25. They have since beaten Syracuse, Louisville and Pitt by an average margin of nearly 27 points, forcing 14 turnovers in the three victories.

"We had a bunch of near-misses in the middle part of our schedule, but we bounced back to play some of our best football of the season," coach Jim Leavitt said.

Pittsburgh, assured of its third losing season in three years under coach Dave Wannstedt, fell apart after leading 7-0 and 14-7 despite freshman LeSean McCoy's three touchdown runs as South Florida scored 24 consecutive points to open a 34-14 lead.

"We became totally unglued," Wannstedt said.

The Panthers must upset rival West Virginia on the road next Saturday to avoid their first eight-loss season since they were 2-9 under Walt Harris in 1998.