The national buzz continued for Grothe, the 2006 Big East Conference Rookie of the Year, after he led his team to an upset of No.

Although Grothe missed the entire second half of the game with a shin injury (after being up 24–7), the Bulls claimed their first-ever bowl victory by a score of 24–7.

Sports television channel ESPN named Grothe the "biggest surprise" in all of the Big East for the 2006 football season.

Grothe was also named to the Manning Award watch list, given to college football's top quarterback.

Grothe broke his own record for passing yards in a game with 382 in a 38–33 loss to Cincinnati, and had a career-long 80-yard touchdown run against Pittsburgh on November 24, 2007.

Grothe and the Bulls accepted an invitation to the Brut Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas where they lost to the Oregon on December 31, 2007.

Grothe led the Big East in total offense (269.4 yards per game), and ranked 21st nationally in that category.

At South Florida, Grothe surpassed 3,000 yards of total offense in his first full season and passed for more than 2,400, breaking both school records formerly held by Marquel Blackwell.

After going undrafted in the 2010 NFL draft, Grothe signed with the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League on June 4, 2010.

[3] On October 6, 2010, Grothe signed a practice roster agreement with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.