South Florida’s football team might be glad Pittsburgh is headed to the ACC. The Panthers beat the Bulls for the fourth straight time, winning a 44-17 rout on Thursday night at Heinz Field and handing No. 16 USF its first loss of the season.

Up 20-17 at halftime, Pitt took control of the game in the third quarter with consecutive touchdown drives that accounted for 135 offensive yards and helped the Panthers double the Bulls’ scoring output. The Panthers shredded the 15th-best run defense in the country, as Ray Graham topped the 200-yard barrier for the second time this season while scoring two touchdowns. As a team, Pitt rushed 55 times for 307 yards and notched four of its five touchdowns on running plays.

The Panthers (3-2, 1-0 Big East) snapped a two-game losing streak and picked up their first win since the school announced that it was leaving the Big East earlier this month.

USF (4-1, 0-1 Big East) came into the game leading the Big East in total offense and averaging 45.5 points, but got shut out in the second half. Quarterback B.J. Daniels ran for a touchdown while completing 50 percent of his passes, but was under pressure all night. Sterling Griffin, with five catches for 109 yards, was Daniels’ main target.