Pitt's defense has been stellar through two weeks, yet the players on the unit concede the first two games were just warm-ups against teams the Panthers should have dominated.

Saturday, Pitt will play at Michigan State, which will test the Panthers' defense. The Spartans are bigger and a much more physical team than Pitt's first two opponents, Eastern Michigan and Grambling, and feature the type of power running game that has crushed the Panthers' hopes the past five seasons.

Michigan State is 2-0 and has wins against UAB (55-18) and Bowling Green (28-17) and, more importantly, has averaged 220 yards rushing per game. Michigan State has seven rushing touchdowns and its top two rushers, Javon Ringer and Jehuu Caulcrick, have combined to average 155 yards rushing and three scores per game as well as 5.25 yards per carry.

Last year, the Spartans came into Heinz Field in the third game of the season and scorched Pitt for 355 yards on the ground in a 38-23 win against the Panthers.

Pitt middle linebacker Scott McKillop agrees that it is impossible to tell just how good the Panthers are on defense until they play Michigan State. He said the Spartans embarrassed the Panthers' defense last year and could do it again Saturday if Pitt doesn't make tackles.

"There is no question we are aware of the fact that we're stepping way up in class [Saturday] from the level of competition we've faced so far," McKillop said after the Panthers' 34-10 win against Grambling Saturday. "But at the same time, it was important that we took care of business in these first two games and that's what we did. We know Michigan State is our third game, but we didn't want to get caught looking ahead and I think we've played very well.

"Now, we can focus on Michigan State and we can use that as a gauge to see how far we've come and how much we've actually improved in stopping the run because, ultimately, our ability to stop the run will dictate how successful we can be. And I'm sure the coaches are going to remind us a lot about last year [against Michigan State] because that was a game where I felt like we got a lead and then shut it down and they made a lot of plays."

For Pitt to win Saturday it will take a much better effort from the front seven than last year, when the Panthers were dominated by Michigan State's offensive line.

Michigan State no longer has quarterback Drew Stanton, who did a lot of damage against the Panthers, but Ringer rushed for 156 yards and a touchdown in that game and Caulcrick added 56 yards and two scores.

In the first two games, Pitt has allowed only 13 points, a total of 123 rushing yards (61.5 per game) and only 384 total yards (192 per game). Pitt has also minimized the big plays and appears to have improved its tackling.

McKillop said better tackling is a product of an offseason commitment by the coaching staff and players.

"Last year we had a lot of missed tackles, way too many and the coaches emphasized that with us in the offseason," he said. "Like I said, [against Michigan State] we'll find out how much better we are at tackling but we've worked hard to get everyone to swarm to the ball and get the player on the ground."

NOTES -- Junior defensive lineman Gus Mustakas is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Through the first two games, he was the team's second leading tackler with 11 stops, two for losses. He was injured in the win against Grambling and will have surgery this week. He is a candidate for a medical redshirt. ... Tailback LaRod Stephens-Howling is day to day with bruised ribs, as is tight end John Pelusi (shoulder), who didn't dress against Grambling.