It was three seasons ago, on this very field, that the fans chanted his name and clamored for his insertion into the game. He was, after all, the hope of the future, the best quarterback Pitt had recruited since Dan Marino.

Of course, he wasn't ready then, wasn't close to being ready.

He needed time to learn this complex offense and time was what he got. He mostly sat and watched for two seasons, absorbing the Walt Harris offense like none of his predecessors.

Now, in this his third year, was his time. The opponent was Nebraska, one of the blue bloods of college football but, fortuitously, on a downswing and ready for the taking.

Too bad Tyler Palko still wasn't ready.

The redshirt sophomore did a dandy impression of a true freshman against the Cornhuskers and in his own words -- which nobody was denying -- cost his team the game.

Palko was as awful as they come in the first half, throwing three interceptions -- one from his own 10, another from his own 2. Those two plays accounted for 10 Nebraska points and were decisive in the Cornhuskers' 24-17 win against Pitt yesterday at Heinz Field.

But this is not necessarily a sad story -- not for Palko, not for the Panthers.

In what is clearly a rebuilding year for the Panthers, this game can be a building block for the team's young quarterback and the host of inexperienced starters that surround him.

Palko rallied in the second half, not to brilliance but to a level of play that gave hope for the future, particularly against a schedule where opponents the likes of Nebraska seldom will be seen.

Palko will get better and while he improves the Pitt defense will win some games by itself, if necessary, in the weeks ahead.

The defense was the surprise of the game. It never gave ground to the vaunted Nebraska rushing attack, giving up only 123 yards on 43 attempts.

The Cornhuskers had only one drive of substance during the game and their second-half drives went something like this: 5 yards, 19, 25 , minus-2, 16 , minus-2 and 13. Small wonder they didn't score a point in the second half.

It was a brilliant effort and also one that was a bit astonishing in light of the teams enormous defensive deficiencies last season. If defensive coordinator Paul Rhodes has righted his group and returned it to its pre-2003 form, the Panthers can have a successful season.

Palko will have a lot to do with that, too. If he continues to improve as he did from the first half to the second half -- and he certainly should get his legs next week against Furman -- he'll have been worth the wait.

Just how bad was Palko in the early going? His completed 9 of 18 for 70 yards in the first half, but almost all of that came on the final drive, which resulted in a field goal, when he completed 7 of 11 for 67 yards.

It was 24-10 at the half, with the Panthers' only touchdown coming on a 96-yard kickoff return by Marcus Furman.

The final drive of the first half didn't seem to lift Palko in the second. Pitt's first three possessions accounted for only 19 yards. At that point, Harris inserted sophomore Joe Flacco into the game. With the way Palko was playing, the move, a bit unorthodox, couldn't be considered stupid.

Flacco did nothing in his one possession, but when Palko came back he seemed rejuvenated. After another non-productive possession, he moved the Panthers 38 yards before turning the ball over on downs. The next possession was one play in length as Palko threw a34-yard touchdown pass to Greg Lee to cut the Nebraska lead to seven.

Pitt got the ball back with 1:18 remaining. Palko moved the Panthers from their own 24 to the Nebraska 19, where a fourth-down desperation pass into the end zone was batted away.

Judging by the way he handled himself after the game, Palko looks to be the ultimate standup guy, a trait that will help him in the years ahead.

When someone suggested he wasn't getting much protection, he would have none of it.

"That's part of the game of football. Our offensive line is continuing to get better. A lot of the mistakes out there weren't their mistakes. [Getting hit] is part of football. You have to continue to get up. That's what you signed up for. You're not always going to be Ken Dorsey and not get sacked for a whole year."

Nor would he use his improvement in the second half to in any way excuse his three interceptions.

When asked if he redeemed himself in the second half, Palko said, "I'm not pleased at all with the way I played. I hurts really bad to know that you didn't give your football team a chance to win and were responsible for the loss. When you turn the ball over three times, you can't point the finger at anybody else but yourself.

"It's over and hopefully the team still have confidence that I can get it done. I know I can."

It's early but it looks as if Pitt has a quarterback and a leader to build around.