ORLANDO * The UCF football team opened spring practice with the first of 15 practices Wednesday morning inside the Nicholson Fieldhouse. The team held the workout for just over two hours in helmets and shorts, per NCAA rules. UCF holds its first spring practice in full pads Saturday.

"I started practice today with PAT/field goal, which is where we ended our season last year," commented UCF head coach George O'Leary following practice. "This is a quiet reminder on how important special teams are."

UCF finished 2005 with an 8-5 record, including a 7-1 mark in Conference USA. The Golden Knights won the C-USA Eastern Division Championship en route to the school's first-ever bowl appearance vs. Nevada in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl.

The majority of practice was spent on individual drills. The final portion of practice was dedicated to team work. O'Leary and the coaching staff had the offense and defense split into four teams * allowing 44 players to see time in the team periods.

"We worked 44 players on the field today, which is a lot for the first day of practice," O'Leary added. "There was a lot of retention from last year, but obviously you will know more when we put the pads on."

"It is great to get back out there in the flow and see what we have coming back," said senior quarterback Steven Moffett after Wednesday's workout. "This is a great chance for us to polish our skills and get ready for (preseason) camp."

UCF returns 42 letterwinners and 19 starters to the field from last year's squad.

"This was the first-ever spring practice for me and I thought we did well today," said sophomore cornerback Joe Burnett. "There are a lot of young guys who are hungry and ready to go and get things started."

UCF returns to the field Thursday morning from 9:20-11:30 a.m. inside the Nicholson Fieldhouse.