PITTSBURGH (AP) — Maine watched enough tape of Pitt’s win over Buffalo a week ago to believe quarterback Warren Smith could throw on the Panthers if he was given time.

After a rocky start, Smith got it in bunches and gave Pitt a scare, throwing for 334 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-29 loss as the Black Bears kept it interesting until the final seconds.

“We figured out some things we could do … and I thought our quarterback kept his poise,” said Maine coach Jack Cosgrove. “If you can be successful against a team like Pittsburgh, a Big East team, with throwing and catching the football, there is room for optimism.”

And nearly room for a stunning upset as Maine (1-1) held its own and then some. The Black Bears recorded seven sacks, picked off Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri twice and refused to go away after falling behind by 20 with 8:39 to play.

Maine responded with a pair of late touchdowns and came within an onside kick recovery of having a Hail Mary shot at the win.

“I thought our defense did one heck of a job on keeping us around,” Cosgrove said. “Our field position was awful and we gave them a short field, but yet we managed to hold them to field goals. I thought we made Pitt earn everything.”

Wide receiver Derek Buttles added 148 yards and a touchdown for the Black Bears, who nearly matched Pitt (2-0) in total yardage (381-371), not bad considering they didn’t register a first down until early in the second quarter.

Once the Black Bears got going, however, they were impressive. Buttles provided the signature highlight with a 22-yard score over Pitt cornerback Jason Hendricks, with Buttles using his 6-foot-3 frame to jump over the 6-foot Hendricks in the end zone and holding onto the ball despite losing his helmet.

“A lot of our players made great catches and plays and the offensive line did a great job of protecting me,” Smith said. “I thought coming in today that we were going to be able to throw the football.”

And Pitt was not, at least, not in the way coach Todd Graham wants.

Quarterback Tino Sunseri, playing under constant pressure, threw for 224 yards but was also intercepted twice before giving way to freshman Trey Anderson in the fourth quarter.

Todd Graham insisted there is no quarterback controversy, Anderson handled himself well. A walk-on who was awarded a scholarship after a strong training camp, Anderson threw for 33 yards and led the Panthers to a touchdown on his first drive that put Pitt up 35-15.

Cosgrove chalked up Pitt’s surge midway through the second half as a matter of talent, not lack of effort by his club.

“They are bigger, faster and stronger than we are and that is the bottom line,” Cosgrove said. “We closed the gap and like a good football team they responded. I don’t think it was on our end. I think Pitt said, ‘Holy cow, we got a ball game here.’”

A better one than the Panthers anticipated. Though Todd Graham praised Maine for its effort, he also criticized his team for letting the Black Bears hang around so long.

“Their guys played hard, their guys are well-coached and it’s one of those games we played down to the level of competition,” he said. “I’m responsible for that.”

Not exactly what the coach was looking for after watching his team grind it out against Buffalo rather than produce the “high octane” offense he promised after taking over in January.

The coach wanted Pitt to

be more aggressive the

second time out, but whenever Sunseri got greedy he ran into trouble.

The junior’s longest completion was a 25-yard strike to tight end Hubie Graham and one of his interceptions came on a late throw into the end zone.

He eventually gave way to Anderson, who has gone from walk-on to scholarship player in the span of a month. Anderson completed 4 of 5 passes on his first drive and showcased his arm strength when he heaved it 50 yards in the face of a hard-charging Maine rush. The ball fell incomplete, but the throw seemed to revive the Panthers.

Pitt quickly drove down the field, with Brown capping the drive with a touchdown. Anderson remained under center on Pitt’s next drive while Sunseri stood on the sideline with his helmet pushed atop his head.

It creates a murky picture going forward even as Pitt improved to 10-0 all-time against FCS opponents while the Black Bears failed to beat a BCS conference team for the second time under coach Jack Cosgrove.

Maine shocked Mississippi State in 2004 and while the Black Bears never found a way in front, they provided plenty of fodder for the boos that showered the Panthers at times.

“Every single one of (the quarterbacks) we had have struggled in first one or two games,” Graham said. “We’re not going to flinch. We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing.”