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Photo by Geoff Anderson Senior quarterback David Tabor completed back-to-back touchdown passes during Thursday's "green zone" team drills.

FIU head coach Don Strock put his Golden Panther football team through a final early-morning "Sunrise Service" Thursday, for a 90-minute practice session in shorts and shoulder pads.

More out of necessity than by choice (some 30 players were finishing their final week of 8:00 a.m. summer school classes), the first few days of fall practice began under the lights of FIU Stadium at 6:00 a.m. But starting Friday morning, the team will work out at a more respectable 8:30 to 10:45 a.m. until fall classes begin on August 29.

"I know it's been tough, what with them having to get up early and the final week of summer school. But football is not an easy game," Strock said. "The legs looked a little dead this morning but that was to be expected. At the same time, we did some good things today."

Two of those good things occurred during team drills in the green zone when senior quarterback David Tabor (Kissimmee/Poinciana) hooked up on back-to-back touchdown throws with freshman tight end Andy Anderson (Deerfield Beach/Pope John Paul II) and junior wide receiver Chandler Williams (Miami/Miami Senior) in opposite corners of the end zone.

Thursday was the final day of the NCAA-mandated acclamation period and the team will don full gear Friday morning when expected temperatures should be 10-15 degrees higher than what players have become accustomed.

But instead of a deterrent, Strock says its imperative that his team learns to play, and excel, in the South Florida heat.

"We need to use the heat here to our benefit, especially when it comes to playing in late October and November," Strock said. "We have to take advantage of it and get ourselves in better shape to be able to win in the fourth quarter."

Sitting out injured from Thursday's workout were freshmen defensive back Jeremiah Weatherspoon (Tallahassee/Florida) and wide receiver Reggie Thompson (Ft. Lauderdale/ Northeast) with sore hamstrings and offensive lineman Alex Szima (Miami/Sunset) with a right ankle sprain.

The Golden Panthers open the 2005 campaign on September 3 at Kansas State and play the home opener on October 1 against Florida A&M. For information and tickets, call toll free (866) FIU-GAME or (305) 348-4263 in Miami-Dade County.