Aug. 13, 2005
ORLANDO - The UCF football team finished its ninth practice of preseason camp and the first of two practice sessions Saturday morning on the outdoor practice fields. The Golden Knights hit the field in helmets and shoulder pads in the morning session.
One bright spot in camp has been the limited amount of injuries. Only two Golden Knights missed practice Saturday - freshman fullback Shane Smith with a high ankle sprain and freshman offensive lineman Richard Clark (knee).
Smith had a solid start to camp at fullback for the Golden Knights before the ankle injury. "He is a tough kid and football is important to him," commented running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Jim Bernhardt. "Shane is a tough kid," added senior tight end Darcy Johnson. "He is learning and getting better and better everyday."
On the field Saturday morning, junior quarterback Ed Marynowitz had another efficient day throwing the football. Working with the second team offense, Marynowitz completed his first three passes in the pass skeleton period, including a long touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Sergiori Joachim over the middle behind the UCF secondary.
Freshman wide receiver Rocky Ross garnered time with the first team offense during the team periods. Joining senior Brandon Marshall and junior Mike Walker in a three-wide set, Ross stepped in and caught one pass during the period.
Both freshman tailback Kevin Smith and junior tailback Jason Peters showed some nifty moves in the team periods in the run game. Smith, perhaps the biggest surprise in camp, has displayed terrific moves and excellent vision in the early going.
The Golden Knights return to the field Saturday evening for the day's second practice. The action begins at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 9:15 p.m. Fans wishing to attend are reminded that cameras (digital, video, etc.) are prohibited from the practice field.