The Bulls' starting quarterback for the 2007 season is sophomore Matt Grothe, who was awarded the Big East Rookie of the Year award in 2006 after being the most productive freshman in total offense with 258.5 yards per game. The Bulls earned what was arguably their biggest victory since the football program's inception with a 24-19 win over then-No. 7 ranked West Virginia in front of a national television audience in their 2006 regular season finale, ending the Mountaineers' chances of winning the Big East title and representing the league in a BCS Bowl Game. South Florida won its first major divisional game in 2005 against Louisville, a shocking 45-14 blowout, over the then-9th ranked Cardinals. USF won its second ever bowl game with a victory over the ECU Pirates on December 23, 2006 in the Papajohns.com Bowl. The previous year, USF lost to the NC State Wolfpack in the Bulls first-ever bowl game, the 2005 Meineke Car Care Bowl. USF's nine wins in 2006 matched a program record and has helped increase the media profile of the team. As a result, USF finished the 2006 season ranked #29 in the final AP Poll with 17 points, landing them just outside the coveted Top 25. A Nationalchamps.net poll has the Bulls ranked No. 25 for the 2007 college football season, and The Sporting News has them ranked No. 21.