Pitt football players walk around the team's practice facility with this summer's training-camp motto "Prove It" emblazoned on the back of their T-shirts.

Coach Dave Wannstedt came up with the motto to rally the team around meeting the high expectations established for the Panthers. But for junior quarterback Bill Stull, those two words mean so much more.

"It's perfect for me as well as our team," said Stull, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound Seton-LaSalle High School graduate. "I've been working on proving myself every single day. I've been trying to prove to myself, to the coaches and to my teammates that I can earn this spot again."

Stull had earned the starting job last season after two years of being the top reserve behind Tyler Palko. But Stull's time as the starter was short-lived. He played a little more than two quarters in the season opener against Eastern Michigan before sustaining a season-ending thumb injury.

Kevan Smith and Pat Bostick took his place. Bostick, the highly touted recruit from Manheim Township High School in Lancaster, started the final eight games, including the upset of West Virginia in the season finale.

But there was something about Stull that the coaches could not forget. He stormed back in the spring and earned the right to take the majority of the snaps with the first-team offense this training camp. Wannstedt will not officially name his starting quarterback until after today's scrimmage, but it's a mere formality that Stull will lead the offense.

"He had a very good spring and summer last year, enough for us to decide that he was our starter," offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh said. "I thought it was only fair that he come back, and not only compete, but probably take the job.

"And he did that. If he had stumbled along the way, had he shown rust or not been confident, that would have shown early. And that didn't happen. He came in like it was his job from Day 1 and he hasn't let anyone take it away from him."

Given Bostick's high school accolades and hype, Stull could have been a Wally Pipp, the legendary baseball starter who sat out a game and never got back on the field with his club again because of New York Yankees great Lou Gehrig. But Stull worked hard to make sure that did not happen.

"A lot of guys have injuries, and they approach the redshirt differently," Wannstedt said. "For some guys, it's a year off. For some guys, it's a year to sulk; for some guys, they take advantage of it.

"I think that's what Billy did. He's a little bit stronger. His arm is stronger. He was in every meeting last year, so it gave him another year to learn the offense and see defenses and try to make himself better."

The only thing missing from Stull's resume is experience. He is hoping the learning curve is eased by his age and time in the video room.

"There's no beating around the bush with that," Stull said. "I'm going to experience some ups and downs. I watched Tyler for two years, seeing every up and down a season can have. I've seen everything that can possibly happen.

"I just haven't experienced it physically, being on the field. I know how to react to those things, but it's a lot different being out there on the field. I just have to be mentally prepared for all of that."

Stull has done everything he can in practice to prove he once again is the offense's leader, but he knows there is no substitute for game experience.

"I just want to play football," he said. "I know it sounds cliche. But I've been waiting so long for this. This is my fourth year, and finally, hopefully, I'll get that chance again."

NOTES -- The team practiced once yesterday afternoon and will scrimmage today one final time before breaking camp. ... Wannstedt was unhappy after practice yesterday because the offense broke a few big plays on the defense. "Every time we go on the field defensively, I expect us not to be streaky," he said. "And, in my opinion, we've been streaky. We've been up and down, and there have been no excuses for that. We have to get a little more consistent."