ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Two things became evident last night when Pitt backup quarterback Pat Bostick trudged onto the field for mop-up duty late in the Panthers' impressive 42-21 thrashing of Navy, thus burning his redshirt year and a season of eligibility.

One, Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt isn't worried about next season or 2010 or '11. The Panthers have won five games in a row and are 5-1 and Wannstedt thinks they can win the Big East Conference right now, this season. If something happens to starter Bill Stull, who threw for 255 yards and a touchdown yesterday, Bostick -- not Greg Cross or Kevan Smith -- will take over the team.

"We're trying to get him ready," Wannstedt said, explaining his decision to play Bostick against Navy.

You can debate all day with perfect justification that having Bostick hand off for three plays in one series and take a knee at the end hardly qualifies as getting him "ready." It's Wannstedt's story and he's sticking to it.

The second point has more long-term ramifications. Evidently -- and Wannstedt will deny this from now until the end of time -- the Pitt staff doesn't believe Bostick is their guy for the future. If Wannstedt felt otherwise, he never would have played Bostick, the starter as a freshman last season by default after Stull's hand injury in the opening game, until he absolutely had to play him. That would be pure lunacy. Wannstedt likes Bostick as a quarterback better than Cross and Smith, but ...

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

That Stull had better stay healthy?

Now, more than ever, Stull has to be The Man for Pitt.

That's why it was nice to watch Stull bounce back yesterday from one of the dumbest interceptions you'll ever see. Pitt led, 21-7, early in the second quarter and was driving for another score with a third-and-5 at the Navy 13 when Stull misfired for wide receiver T.J. Porter in the end zone. Navy cornerback Rashawn King returned the interception 91 yards to set up a touchdown that, at least, for a few minutes, gave Navy hope.

It was the kind of mistake that could do irreparable damage to Pitt against a better team, perhaps Rutgers at home next weekend or certainly Notre Dame on the road the following Saturday.

"He got on the phone to me right away and said he saw the guy wide open, he just made a bad throw," Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh said.

Give Stull credit for shaking off the bad play and making a big throw on the next drive to lead Pitt to a much-needed answering touchdown.

While you're at it, give Cavanaugh some credit for sticking with Stull at one of those crucial moments in a young quarterback's development.

Even though Pitt was having its way running the ball against Navy's overmatched and outsized defense, Cavanaugh called three consecutive pass plays immediately after Stull's interception. The first was an overthrow for tight end Dorin Dickerson. The second was batted away at the line of scrimmage. The third -- the big one -- went for 24 yards down the middle to Porter.

If Pitt had to punt there, who knows what would have happened?

As it turned out, star running back LeSean McCoy, who cranked out 156 yards on 18 carries as he continued to round into top form, nudged Pitt ahead, 28-14, with an 11-yard touchdown run, the second of his three touchdowns.

"I believe in the kid," Cavanaugh said of Stull. "I wanted to let him know that [interception] wasn't going to rattle my confidence in him."

Stull was far from perfect, but he did complete 15 of 23 passes and threw a 60-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin early in the fourth quarter.

As far as Cavanaugh was concerned, it was another step in the right direction for his junior quarterback, in his first full season as the starter.

"Everybody has an opinion about how long it takes a quarterback to develop," Cavanaugh said. "I think it takes a year. ...

"[Stull] is starting to figure some things out."

It's happening at a good time for Pitt. Wannstedt may or may not be right about his evaluation of Bostick -- only time will determine that -- but he's absolutely right about Pitt being in position to win the Big East and go to a Bowl Championship Series game. One reason is the Big East is really lousy this season. A second reason is that the Panthers are playing much better football than they did early in the season when they lost their opener at home to Bowling Green.

Pitt didn't need Stull to beat Navy.

McCoy could have run for 400 yards if Wannstedt and Cavanaugh had let him.

But somewhere down the line, Pitt is going to need Stull, big time.

It's nice to think he'll respond the way he did after that horrible interception yesterday.