FIU Football was forced to dodge raindrops during Wednesday’s two practices but the overcast and rain seemed to cut down the heat and help the Golden Panthers have one of their best practice days of the fall.

“This was probably one of the better practices we’ve had, all the way around,” said head coach Don Strock after the morning session. “They’re getting their legs back a bit and play on both sides of the ball was very good.”

Strock had players come work out in shorts and shoulder pads in the morning and just shorts and shells in the afternoon instead of full gear as had originally been scheduled.

“Everybody’s got those little nicks and bruises—that’s camp,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we slowed things down a bit today.”

Coaches focused on special teams play in the afternoon, spending the majority of the practice on kickoffs and punts. “We want to get a lot of film of this afternoon and see who is going to be playing on special teams in games this season,” Strock said.

With the season opener just 10 days away and Hurricane Katrina looming, Strock will play the weekend practice schedule by ear. But by Friday, the coach hopes to unveil a depth chart that could contain some surprises. He went down a list of young hopefuls he feels can contribute immediately.

“A lot of the young guys have begun to step up,” he said. “Reggie Jones (Tallahassee/Florida) and Jonas Murrell (Lebanon, Ky.) have done a good job on the defensive line. We really like Wendy Napoleon (Pompano Beach/Deerfield Beach) at middle linebacker and Sheldon Penrow (Margate/Deerfield Beach), Kent Henderson (Belle Glade/Glades Central) and Jeremiah Weatherspoon (Tallahassee/Florida) have done well in the defensive backfield. These were the kind of guys we’ve been looking for and they’re going to be in the mix.”

There were no new injuries reported Wednesday, but no returnees from the injury list, either.

The team is scheduled to be back on the field Thursday at 8:45 a.m. for its only practice of the day. All practices are closed to the general public.

The Golden Panthers open their 2005 campaign on September 3 at Kansas State and play the home opener on October 1 against Florida A&M in the 69th annual Orange Blossom Classic at FIU Stadium, featuring a halftime performance by the FAMU's "Marching 100" Band. For information and tickets, call toll free (866) FIU-GAME or (305) 348-4263 in Miami-Dade County.