Pitt quarterback Bill Stull did not remember how he had got a concussion in the Oct. 25 game against Rutgers at Heinz Field. So Stull sat in his hospital bed that night and turned on the television in search of the reasons he felt so lousy.

When the evening news came on, he saw the play for the first time. He saw LeSean McCoy's leg hit the back of his head and paramedics strap him onto a stretcher and wheel him off the field.

"I saw my head snap forward," Stull said. "It was the weirdest thing I've ever been a part of, one of the scariest things. I'm just glad I'm able to stand here and be able to get ready for Louisville."

After sitting out the victory at Notre Dame, Stull pronounced himself healthy and expects to be the starter again when the Panthers play host to the Cardinals Saturday at Heinz Field.

Dave Wannstedt expects the same.

"I'm anticipating he'll come out [yesterday] and practice well, and we'll be back in a normal routine," Wannstedt said. "We'll kind of evaluate it at the end of practice, but he's excited about getting back to work, and we are as well."

Stull went through a strength and conditioning workout yesterday morning and came away feeling like his body was back to functioning normally.

"I feel good, a lot better than I did," Stull said before practice. "All the headaches are gone. I have no headaches, no nausea, no dizziness.

"I don't think there's any doubt I'll be ready to play. The big test was lifting today and seeing how I felt. There were no lingering effects of any sort. We'll see how practice goes. I'm sure I'll be fine with that."

Pitt senior middle linebacker Scott McKillop is one of the leading tacklers in the nation and a strong candidate to earn All-American honors. One of the reasons McKillop has been able to average more than 10 tackles per game is the underappreciated work of Pitt's two tackles -- senior Rashaad Duncan and junior Mick Williams.

"I think any great middle linebacker will tell the guys in front of them are very important to their success," said assistant head coach Greg Gattuso, who oversees the defensive line.

"Our tackles played their best game together [Notre Dame], but they had been playing very well all year. Rashaad Duncan has been very steady, eating up blockers and doing a great job for him. Obviously, Scott is a great player, but part of his ability to make some plays is those tackles creating a lot of problems inside and occupying three people on many plays."

Gattuso praised Duncan's attention to detail and his ability to think about the game.

When the coaches in the booth could not figure out a Notre Dame blocking scheme early in the game, Duncan explained the situation to Gattuso when he came off the field, and the problem was rectified. He has been the steadiest player for Gattuso on the front line.

"Ninety percent of the time he knows what happened to him and those around him," Gattuso said. "He has prepared himself to be a great player."

Williams is Pitt's most important front line defender because of his energy. Nagging injuries have forced him out of the lineup on many occasions, but he played the most snaps of his career against Notre Dame.

"Mick Williams has been the spark plug," Gattuso said. "We struggle sometimes when he's not out there. He brings the energy. He has become a strong leader. Kids have great respect for him and the way he plays the game."

Sophomore Elijah Fields, a Duquesne High graduate, is one of the more versatile players on defense. At various times in a game, Fields will play safety, cornerback or linebacker, depending upon the defensive package.

Fields said he is a safety first and foremost but welcomes the chance of playing other positions.

"I just like being out there," Fields said. "Any opportunity to get on the field I'm happy with. I'll play wherever they need me, wherever I can help the team. But I'm a safety. Don't get it wrong. I'm a safety."

Fields made some big plays against Notre Dame after not playing much in Pitt's previous games against Rutgers and Navy. Fields said his maturation process between his freshman and sophomore seasons has helped him deal with the ups and downs of being in and out of the lineup.

"My freshman year, I wasn't focused," he said. "I probably would have packed it up and wanted to leave. Ever since I've matured I realized you have to stick it out."