Pittsburgh needed a big lift when it lost star running back Ray Graham to an early injury, and quarterback Tino Sunseri provided it with a career-high 419 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-20 triumph over visiting Connecticut.

Coming off a pair of poor performances, Sunseri went 29-for-42 and tied for the fourth-highest passing game in school history. He connected with Mike Shanahan on two touchdown throws and ran for another as the Panthers (4-4, 2-1 Big East) ended a two-game skid.

Shanahan's 27-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter stopped a rally by the Huskies (3-5, 1-2) that had trimmed a 21-3 halftime deficit to 21-13.

Graham, fifth in the nation in rushing yards, went down with a right knee injury on Pitt's opening drive and did not return. But the loss sparked the Panthers, who continued from their 49 and scored four plays later on an 8-yard dash by Sunseri.

They made it 14-0 on Sunseri's 17-yard strike to Shanahan with 54 seconds left in the first.

Pitt outgained UConn 321-80 in the first half, and built a 21-3 cushion on Zach Brown's 3-yard touchdown run with 2:38 to go before halftime.

Just two weeks ago Graham rushed for 226 yards in another weeknight ESPN game, when the Panthers routed South Florida 44-17. They followed with losses to Rutgers and Utah, against whom Sunseri went a combined 18-for-39 for 165 yards with three interceptions.

Johnny McEntee's 62-yard touchdown pass to wide-open Kashif Moore cut the deficit to 21-10 for UConn, which nipped the Panthers 30-28 last season en route to a BCS berth.