TAMPA, Fla. – Sophomore Brian Battie rushed for 105 yards and scored one of South Florida’s six rushing touchdowns in a 42-20 win over Howard Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium.

Battie only carried the ball seven times and score his touchdown on a career-long 60-yard run. It was a spectacular night for the USF backfield which pounded their way to 205 yards rushing – 150 of which came in the second half.

“We needed this to just remind ourselves that we can still win,” Battie said. “We just keep our head down and keep working.”

Junior Michel Dukes with 34 yards and scored two touchdowns, his first scores at USF. Senior Jaren Mangham also broke off two touchdown runs on the night, giving him 18 in his USF career, joining Rafael Williams (2000) and Demetris Murray (2012) in a tie for eighth all-time for the Bulls.

The Bison were first to see the end zone on an 18-yard run from Kasey Hawthorne that capped a 10-play, 80 yard drive.

It took a little bit for the Bulls to find their groove after starting with an interception on their first-play, a four-play drive that ended with a punt and an eight-play drive that ended with a missed field goal.

The Bulls defense got going and forced fumbles on the next two Howard possessions. Jatorian Hansford forced a fumble recovered by sophomore safety Jayden Curry. That was followed by a Bulls drive that featured an eight-yard pass from Gerry Bohanon to Sean Atkins for a first down on fourth and four. With 11:16 left in the first half the Bulls scored on a two-yard run by Mangham.

The Bulls got another stop when junior cornerback Timarcus Simpson forced a fumble that Rashawn Yates recovered at the USF 41-yard line. Bohanon found his rhythm completing four consecutive passes to move the Bulls to the Howard seven-yard line then Dukes ran it in for six to give the Bulls a 14-7 lead with 2:10 left in the half.

“Probably the thing that stands out the most about this game is the way our guys responded in the second half,” head coach Jeff Scott said. “You find yourself in a seven-point game at the half and that was gonna be a big challenge and an opportunity for us to learn a lot about this year’s team. How they were going to respond.”

Respond the Bulls did.

“I know we had 11 tackles for loss and three sacks, and the majority of them were probably in the second half,” said Scott. “Offensively, really able to run the ball there in the second half. So, really, you know, just really proud of how our guys responded there in the second half.”

The Bulls scored four more touchdowns in the second half, including one from redshirt freshman K’wan Powell – the first in his career.

The last time the Bulls scored six rushing touchdowns in one game was week six versus Charleston Southern in 2003.

The Bulls needed a get-right game following the BYU beat-down last week and before facing Florida in Gainesville. The play calling has improved since last week's catastrophe, and the team seems to have gained more confidence.