If you want to get mentioned among the elite quarterbacks in college football, you need to do a few things. First, be a leader; second, stay positive; and be able to come up big when it matters.

Although he's just a freshman, it's exactly what former Manheim Township standout Pat Bostick has done since stepping in for Pitt as its starting quarterback.

After a slow start against Louisville on Saturday, in a game most felt Pitt would not be in, all Bostick did was stay cool and positive the second half, nearly rallying the Panthers to a win on the road.

Two weeks ago, Bostick led Pitt to a stunning 24-17 victory over Cincinnati. It was Pitt's first win over a ranked team since beating No. 21 West Virginia, 16-13, on Nov. 25, 2004.

"It's big when you beat a conference opponent, it's big when you beat an opponent the caliber of Cincinnati, and it shows what kind of team we can be," he said. "As I said before, as games go on, I think I get more comfortable with the atmosphere, and it's easier to execute the game plan."

Not bad for a guy who already has started more games as a freshman than Dan Marino did while at Pitt and, who at the beginning of the year, was slated to be a redshirt.

Those ideas of being redshirted all changed in the Connecticut game. With Bill Stull sidelined by an injured thumb and backup Kevan Smith showing he was not ready to play at the Division I level, coaches reluctantly handed Bostick the job in the second half.

Bostick responded to the task by passing for 230 yards and one touchdown. Since that juncture he has completed 64 percent of his passes, and is 93 of 150 for 905 yards and four touchdowns, good for a 112.15 passing rating.

Admittedly, for a guy who was used to playing, the time on the sideline leading up to the Connecticut contest was rough.

"It was difficult, I never really had not played," said Bostick. "My freshman year in high school was the last time I really wasn't playing. So not playing is very different from the standpoint, you're sitting there, and you don't know what to do on the sideline."

There are some who feel that Bostick may have been the front-runner for the starting job, even ahead of Stull, had he not left training camp for eight days to return home for what the school has officially called "personal issues."

Since his return, though, the man who teammates fondly refer to as "quirky" has excelled on the field and is progressing in all the right directions.

"Balancing the many responsibilities you have has been the biggest challenge," Bostick said. "As a person, I'm just like everyone in this room, players, reporters, but I have a phrase that I tell everyone; playing football at this level isn't 9 to 5. It's an all-day thing, it's an all-week thing, so to balance that with everything else you do as a student, its difficult, especially for a freshman, but I'm getting there."

Bostick said that his work with current Manheim Township head coach Mike Melnyk has played a big role in his learning process.

"He helped me with everything, quarterback was the most minor thing," said Bostick. "Off the field, with people, what it takes to be a good teammate, to be a good person, he gave me so many things that I'll probably not forget, I owe a lot to him, and we still talk every week."

Although Bostick has continued to improve with each snap and he has shown at times why he is the future of the program, he will be the first to tell you there is still room for a lot of improvement.

"You get a curve ball sometimes, and I have to make this feel like it's playing in the backyard," said Bostick. "You're playing football; it's a kid's game, and you're lucky enough to be playing in a venue as nice as Heinz Field. It's great, but at the same time you can't lose sight that it's a game.

"I think this is a program on the rise. We are building the foundation for years to come, but at the same time, I'd rather not talk about that, because the future's now, and the important thing is to win games now."

Considering Lancaster County is pretty much Penn State country, Bostick was asked if he hoped to change the roar to a different tune.

"I've told countless people, I love where I'm from and I'm glad people there can get a chance to see me play. I get to represent where I'm from, and that is real real big to me," he said with a huge smile. "So I'd love to do that.

"We're recruiting more and more from that area, and I'm happy about that, because I think Pitt has a lot to offer, and people are starting to realize that although our record doesn't really reflect that, we have a character program here."