PITTSBURGH — Twenty-eight points.

That's the target number Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt is giving freshman quarterback Pat Bostick for tonight's game against Navy. To Wannstedt, anything short of 28 points probably won't be enough to outscore Navy's productive triple-option offense that loves to control the ball and frustrate opponents.

The challenge is a significant one for Bostick, who was playing Pennsylvania high school football at this time a year ago and has made only one college start, a 44-14 loss at Virginia on Sept. 29.

"We need to take a step forward," Wannstedt said. "In order for us to win this game, we're going to have to score 28 points and we're not going to do that totally on the ground. Pat has had some very good practices. I believe he is into it and knows what we're doing."

Bostick never figured to be in this position nearly halfway through a Pitt season that may be rapidly falling apart.

The freshman will be starting his first home game because junior starter Bill Stull injured a thumb in the season opener and isn't close to returning and redshirt freshman Kevan Smith, a Seneca Valley graduate, played poorly in a 34-14 home-field loss to Connecticut.

Pitt badly needs a victory against Navy (3-2), if only to give some confidence to an offense that is relying on two freshmen, Bostick and running back LeSean McCoy (503 yards in five games), for most of its production.

The Panthers have yet to play the core of their Big East schedule — No. 15 Cincinnati, Rutgers, Louisville, No. 5 South Florida and No. 8 West Virginia. With so many difficult games ahead, they could be headed for their worst season since they were 2-9 under Walt Harris in 1998.

Wannstedt, 13-15 in three seasons, said last week he still has the support of the administration. But the man who hired him in late 2004, former athletic director Jeff Long, left this month for Arkansas after not receiving a counteroffer from Pitt.

No wonder Pitt needs a turnaround in a hurry. The problem is that Navy, which is coming off a 31-20 victory over Air Force, figures to be a difficult assignment because of its disciplined offense.

"We need to get back on track and we need this game to get to .500, and we'll go from there," Wannstedt said.