Pitt quarterback Bill Stull, right, required surgery on a thumb injury, leaving the position open to Seneca Valley graduate Kevan Smith or true freshman Pat Bostick. The Panthers host Grambling Saturday.

PITTSBURGH — Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt believes freshman Pat Bostick is far enough along to soon become the Panthers' starting quarterback. What Wannstedt is debating is whether soon means this week.

Either Bostick or redshirt freshman Kevan Smith will start Saturday against Grambling. Season-opening starter Bill Stull is out indefinitely after having surgery Sunday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Pitt (1-0) probably has enough talent to beat Grambling with either Smith or Bostick at quarterback. The Panthers figure to be an off-the-board favorite against the only non-major college team on their schedule.

But Wannstedt must decide whether Smith, who has thrown all of four college passes, or Bostick, who was playing high school football in Lancaster, Pa., a year ago, gives Pitt a better chance to beat Michigan State on Sept. 15 and Connecticut on Sept. 22.

If neither quarterback clearly outplays the other in practice, that could be the deciding factor.

"The positive would be that I feel he (Bostick) gives us the best chance to win," Wannstedt said Monday. "The negative would be that there's going to be some first-year mistakes, but that's going to happen with Kevan, too."