The Pittsburgh Panthers new "high-octane" offense didn't start off with a huge bang last Saturday, but it did lead to a 35-16 drubbing of Buffalo University. Surprisingly, the Panthers led just 7-3 at halftime, but pulled away in the second half to help new head coach Todd Graham earn his first victory. On Monday, Graham admitted that things didn't go as planned last week, but said a lot of it had to do with first-game jitters.
Despite the slow start, Pitt running back Ray Graham ran for 201 yards and score three TDs and earned Big East Player Of The Week honors for Week 1.
Look at the opponent: Last Saturday, the Black Bears (1-0) downed visiting Bryant University, 28-13, in a FCS non-conference contest at Alfond Stadium. Junior Warren Smith is Maine's starting quarterback. Last season, Warren tossed for 1,876 yards. Other Maine players to watch are seniors, linebacker Donte Dennis and running back Derek Session, who each earned All-CAA Third-Team honors last season. In '10, the Black Bears finished 4-7 overall.
TV schedule: Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN3.com
Point spread: N/A
Final thoughts: This should be another easy victory for the Panthers, who are preparing for next week's visit to the University of Iowa.
-- For more on Pitt football check out SB Nation's blog Cardiac Hill.