Nati Harnik, Associated Press Nebraska's Adam Ickes (49) blocks a field-goal attempt by Pitt's Josh Cummings as time ran out yesterday. Click photo for larger image. Smizik: Pitt flop takes offense to sad low Pitt Football Notebook: Pitt 'trees' show bite, not bark

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Pitt kicker Josh Cummings lined up for a 46-yard field goal with one second to play and the Panthers trailing the Nebraska Cornhuskers by a point. Cummings kicked three winning field goals for the Panthers last season and has been a steady, reliable weapon for the team since he has been their starting kicker.

Yesterday, however, just wasn't Cummings' day and the result was another disappointing chapter in the first season of Dave Wannstedt's tenure as Panthers head coach.

Cummings' kick came off his foot lower than usual and low enough that Nebraska's Adam Ickes was able to time his jump perfectly and block the kick, thus handing the Panthers an emotionally devastating 7-6 loss before 77,336 at Memorial Stadium.

Cummings had an earlier field goal blocked and also missed a 49-yarder in the fourth quarter that could have given the Panthers their first lead. It was the first time he missed three field goals in a game since he became the Panthers' starter last year. Cummings did not practice all week because of a sore knee but he did not blame the injury for his performance.

He said he recently discovered a torn meniscus and a strained ligament in his kicking leg from an injury that happened several years ago, but it has not been an issue in the past and he doesn't think it is now.

"I'm not going to sit here and make any excuses, if I didn't think I was healthy enough to make the kick then I should have pulled myself," Cummings said. "The two blocked kicks are disappointing because part of that is my fault and the wide right from 49, we all know I can make those and so I need to just go do that. I'm eventually going to need surgery on my knee, but I have been kicking in pain for four years so I figured I could kick in pain for another four months, but it caught up with me."

Wannstedt said that although the missed field goals hurt, the bigger issue is the fact that the Panthers were unable to score an offensive touchdown for the second consecutive game. He said the defense and special teams -- outside of the missed kicks -- played well enough for the Panthers to win but the offense is having too many breakdowns to be productive.

"It is obvious to everyone that if we are going to win, we are going to have to find a way to score points," Wannstedt said. "We did not have good field position, we were backed up a lot and I thought we did a good job of getting out of the hole on offense, but we have to find a way to put it in the end zone.

"This was a tough team loss. Our guys wanted to win this game so bad and we played so hard. We prepared so hard, it just hurts, it really does. There is no easy solution to it."

One encouraging sign on offense was the continued improvement in the running game, and in particular the play of freshman tailback LaRod Stephens-Howling, who certainly made a case to be the starter in coming weeks. Stephens-Howling, at 5 feet 7, 160 pounds, carried the ball 17 times for 98 yards.

"He really was a bright spot," Wannstedt said. "I thought for the most part against a pretty good defense on the road, we ran the ball pretty well. But we got ourselves in too many long-yardage situations because we would get sacked or [quarterback] Tyler [Palko] was on the run. We're just not making plays and not giving ourselves a chance to make plays in the passing game."

Still, despite the offensive struggles, the Panthers had a chance to win for the second week in a row because of a stellar effort by their defense. Nebraska gained only 267 yards and 14 first downs and the Panthers held the Cornhuskers to only 114 yards after the first half.

Pitt had a season-high four quarterback sacks and pressured Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor, who completed 10 of 20 passes for 93 yards. Pitt cornerback Darrelle Revis said the effort on defense was only a small taste of things to come.

"It is all about confidence," Revis said. "We have to stay confident and do the job like we're capable. All 11 of us are starting to play together as a defense and good things are starting to happen."

Although Cummings didn't play his best game, his quick thinking one play before the final kick enabled the Panthers to have a chance to win the game.

The Panthers, trailing, 7-6, forced a 38-yard field-goal attempt by Nebraska's Jordan Congdon with 1:28 remaining. Congdon's kick sailed wide left, and Pitt took possession at the Cornhuskers' 22 with no timeouts.

Palko, who finished 11 of 26 for 190 yards, quickly directed the Panthers down the field and hit Joe DelSardo with a 26-yard pass that gave the Panthers a first-and-10 at the Cornhuskers' 29 with nine seconds to play. On the next play, Palko spiked the ball to stop the clock with seven seconds left.

Pitt then lined up for what would have been the winning field goal but the snap was off and the ball ricocheted off the helmet of Adam Graessle right to Cummings, who immediately threw it away for an incomplete pass. And because it was only second down, Pitt still had possession with one second remaining.

"That was really a heads-up play by Josh," Wannstedt said. "But you can't expect to come to Nebraska and kick a bunch of field goals and come away with a win. You have to score touchdowns. We have to find a way to get into the end zone."

Nebraska's lone score came in the second quarter and was set up when Taylor connected with Terence Nunn on a 36-yard pass that gave Nebraska a first-and-goal at the 6.

The three ensuing plays yielded only 5 yards, but Nebraska coach Bill Callahan opted to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1 and his faith was rewarded when Taylor scored on a bootleg.

As it turned out, it was the only touchdown in the game by either team.