Matt Freed, Post-Gazette The Panthers need more big plays from players such as receiver Greg Lee, who caught a touchdown pass against Notre Dame. Click photo for larger image. Pitt Notebook: Kinder replaces DelSardo at flanker Cook: Wannstedt seeks some positives

The Pitt Panthers are off to an 0-2 start and are a team in search of answers. Just two weeks ago the Panthers had visions of a return to trip to a Bowl Championship Series game. But now even a trip to the Motor City Bowl seems unlikely.

The Panthers have not played well in either game and must travel to Nebraska Saturday to face an undefeated Cornhuskers team that, at least defensively, seems to be rolling.

But finding answers may be difficult for the Panthers because the two losses were very different. Against Notre Dame, the offense had some degree of success but the defense was dominated. But then the defense was dominant against Ohio University and the offense ineffective.

There has, however, been one constant trouble spot that has shown up in both losses and will continue to hold the Panthers back if it isn't corrected quickly -- Pitt's inability to make big plays on offense.

So far this season, the Panthers have had only two plays go for 25 yards or more, and both were against Notre Dame -- a 55-yard run by Raymond Kirkley and a 39-yard touchdown reception by Greg Lee.

They had one other play go for more than 20 yards -- a reception by Derek Kinder -- against Notre Dame and only two such plays (20 yards or more) against Ohio (a 21-yard run by Kirkley and a 22-yard run by Tim Murphy). The Panthers' longest pass play against the Bobcats went for 18 yards.

	UP NEXT What: Pitt (0-2) at Nebraska (2-0). When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Where: Tom Osborne Field at Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Neb. TV/Radio: WTAE/WPGB-FM (104.7), WBGG-AM (970) and the Panthers Radio Network.

Lee, who was the only receiver to catch a pass Friday, is supposed to be the Panthers' big-play receiver but he has yet to make his presence felt. Through two games, he has eight catches for 107 yards (13.4 yards per catch, 53.5 per game) and one touchdown.

Last year Lee averaged 19.1 yards per catch and 108 yards per game. But he has been the victim of his own success as defenses have double-teamed him or used safeties to help defend him, limiting his effectiveness.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt acknowledged yesterday that the Panthers need to find a way to make big plays -- and take some pressure off of Lee -- and he also has made some changes in the lineup to try and see that it happens.

"We need to be able to run down the field with some speed and make some big plays," Wannstedt said at his weekly news conference. "We have to put some speed on the field because that is how you can come up with big plays. We need 40-yard runs, we need 40-yard passes, we have to find a way to get those big chunks."

In order to try and generate some bigger plays, coaches have made some changes for the Nebraska game. Some are subtle, such as tweaking the rotation some at tailback, while others are not so subtle -- sophomore Derek Kinder will start at receiver ahead of Joe DelSardo.

So far the only running back who has made a couple of big runs is Kirkley, but starter Rashad Jennings has been slowed by a nagging knee injury and sophomore Brandon Mason has yet to carry the ball.

The need for speed likely means that Mason will get some more action this week and Wannstedt said freshman LaRod Stephens-Howling, who had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown Friday and is one of the fastest players on the team, will get some more action as well.

"When I first saw Kirkley in the spring I wasn't sure," Wannstedt said, "You'd watch him and say, 'those 10-yard runs, boy you'd like them to be 30-yard runs.' But I think we have to continue to play him and we have to find a way to get LaRod Stephens the ball because he is a guy who has a chance to make a 40-yard run."

Wannstedt said that although the team is 0-2 and the offense has struggled, there have been some areas where he's seen progress. One is running the football, which he said is the backbone of the offense.

He added, however, that until the offense starts making big plays, just making progress is not going to get the job done.

"It is not where it needs to be but it is progress," he said of the running game. "We're confident now that we can run the ball. Now, can we line up and rip off 40- and 50-yard runs? I don't know, but I do know we can run the ball and we're going to run the ball. If we can break a few big ones, it will change our offense completely and gives us a better chance to be successful."