After the Bulls’ 41-17 win over East Carolina on Saturday, running back Andre Hall, who gained 161 yards on 27 carries, was jokingly asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Maybe it’s the way I practice,” Hall said, smiling. “I have to work harder.”

But that may be impossible.

Hall came into the game with two 200-yard performances under his belt this season and was 195 yards shy of Dyral McMillan’s single-season rushing record of 1,017 yards. Hall now needs 35 yards to claim the accolade.

And with three games remaining on the Bulls’ schedule, it is only a matter of when.

“I really, really wanted the win,” Hall said. “But me personally, I really wanted to (break the record) at home. But since I didn’t, it’s no big deal, we got the W.”

Although he didn’t get that record, he broke USF’s single-season rushing touchdown record with an 18-yard scoring scamper early in third quarter, his tenth of the season. The previous record was nine, held by McMillan.

Versus an East Carolina rushing defense ranked fourth worst in the nation, Hall and the Bulls were able to gain 276 yards on the ground.

“The running game is going pretty good, keeping us moving the ball,” Hall said. “We got to stick with it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Hall, who fumbled twice, admits coughing up the ball is something that needs to be fixed. His errors led to 10 ECU points.

“I’m really most frustrated with myself fumbling,” Hall said. “That’s on me, I have to work on that — but the win, it takes a little pain away.”

Hall sat out the next two possessions.

“We kept them in that game with turnovers,” coach Jim Leavitt said. “Andre can’t fumble, that’s a negative. Everything else, obviously, was a positive from Andre Hall.”

With 116 yards receiving this season and 983 on the ground, Hall is responsible for 40 percent of the Bulls’ offensive production this season.

“I think it’s his attitude,” senior defensive lineman Lee Roy Selmon said. “He’s got all the tools and all the ability that a lot of running backs have, but what makes him special is his willingness to work hard and practice hard. And not just do it in the game, but do it in practice, too.”