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FACTS & STATS: Site: UB Stadium (31,000) -- Buffalo, New York. Television: ESPN Game Plan. Home Record: Pitt 1-0, Buffalo 0-0. Away Record: Pitt 0-0, Buffalo 0-0. Neutral Record: Pitt 0-0, Buffalo 0-0. Conference Record: Pitt 0-0, Buffalo 0-0. Series Record: Pittsburgh leads, 1-0.

GAME NOTES: A pair of teams coming off impressive season-opening victories are set to square off at UB Stadium, as the Buffalo Bulls host the Pittsburgh Panthers in a non-conference bout.

Pittsburgh steamrolled Youngstown State, 38-3 on Saturday. This is the first of nine games that Pitt will play this season against teams that went bowling last season. But the Panthers have a good track record against schools from the Mid-American Conference, posting a 26-3 record all-time. They have also won six of their last seven road games dating back to the 2007 season.

The Bulls were also sharp last weekend, as they began their quest to repeat as MAC champs with a 23-17 win at Texas-El Paso. They did so without the services of all-time leading rusher James Starks, who was lost for the season with a labral tear in his shoulder just days before the season opener. Following this bout, Buffalo is back on the road for two straight.

Pitt was a 27-16 winner over UB last season, which was the only previous meeting between the two schools.

Pitt was the preseason pick to win the Big East by the league's coaches. And judging by what the Panthers did to YSU last weekend, it's tough to dispute that pick right now. Freshman tailback Dion Lewis burst onto the scene with 129 rushing yards and three touchdowns (one rec), answering critics who wondered whether he was ready to step into departed tailback Lesean McCoy's shoes. Lewis had 100 rushing yards and two TDs by halftime, as he went on to set a school record for rushing yards by a freshman in a season opener. Senior quarterback Bill Stull completed 11-of-16 passes for 123 yards and two scores.

Meanwhile, the Pitt defense held serve by limiting YSU to just 159 yards of total offense. The Panthers were especially stout against the run, holding the Penguins to a mere 1.3 ypc. YSU quarterback Brandon Summers didn't have a whole lot of opportunities in the passing game, either. He was sacked six times and intercepted twice by an opportunistic Panther defense. Adam Gunn registered a team-high eight tackles in addition to his two sacks. Entering the season, the defense was commonly thought to be the team's strength. And after one game, that certainly seems to be the case.

Much like Lewis at Pitt, UB junior running back Brandon Thermilus is trying to fill some pretty big shoes. When Starks was lost for the season, Buffalo lost more than 3,000 career rushing yards and 30 touchdowns. Thermilus doesn't have the same natural ability, though he did turn in a rather workman-like 79 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries (3.2 ypc). Sophomore quarterback Zach Maynard was efficient, not spectacular, as he completed 12-of-19 passes for 159 yards and a TD. Equally as important, he didn't throw an interception. All-MAC wideout Naaman Roosevelt caught five passes for 91 yards, including a dagger of a 42-yard touchdown grab on the first possession of the second half.

The Buffalo defense yielded a touchdown on UTEP's second offensive series, but not much after that. Miners quarterback Trevor Vittatoe was held in check, as he finished with 233 passing yards and no touchdowns. The UB defense also came up with a safety in the second quarter. Junior linebacker Justin Winters, who had a team-high 125 tackles last season, led the way with eight tackles and a sack. Sherrod Lott finished with seven stops and three pass breakups. As a unit, they'll need to tighten up against the run, as UTEP was able to average 4.8 ypc.

The Bulls did a lot of things right in their win over UTEP. But they'll have to play a near flawless game to pull off the upset against Pitt. If Lewis turns out to be the real deal at tailback, the Panthers will no doubt be the team to beat in the Big East.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Pittsburgh 37, Buffalo 17