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(UWIRE) OVIEDO, Fla. -- It's been more than three-and-a-half months and 11 spring practices since the UCF football team played a game.
That all changes Saturday, when the Knights will play their first spring football game inside Bright House Networks Stadium at 3 p.m.
The gates open at 2 p.m., and all students can get in for free. They can also enter through any gate, while several of the "Gold Zone E" lots will be open for courtesy parking.
Admission for non-students is $5.
UCF will lead up to the game with a 5 p.m. practice Friday.
The Knights' practice Wednesday featured full-contact work for both the offensive and defensive lines as well as one-on-one tackling drills.
After the game, players and head coach George O'Leary will participate in "Fan Day" in the east concourse, which includes an opportunity for fans to get autographs of players.
And while many fans may be excited to see the Knights in real football action for the first time, the players are gearing up for it as well.
"We are very excited ...," wide receiver Rocky Ross said in a press release. "We have to prepare ourselves to go out there and have a good spring game for ourselves and for the fans that show up. We are hoping to have a good crowd in the stadium because that's what having an on-campus stadium is all about."
Fans will be able to witness some interesting position battles that will be key to the Knights' 2008 success.
Quarterbacks Michael Greco and Joe Weatherford will each look to secure the starting position.
Coming into the spring, Philip Smith was expected to have the inside track to replace Kevin Smith at running back, but that was potentially dashed when he was hurt in practice in late March, as first reported by Kyle Hightower on his blog.
Now the running onus falls on redshirt freshman Ronnie Weaver and junior James Jameson, as well as true freshmen Brandon Davis and Brynn Harvey.
In recent press releases, O'Leary has lauded the improvement of the offensive line, and said that the emergence of Wes Tunuufi Sauvao and Nick Pieschel gives the Knights needed depth at the guard position.
Offensive lineman Patrick Brown knows what the fans expect when the Knights take the field.
"It's going to be the same emotion as when we ran out there for the Conference USA Championship game," Brown said in a press release. "Every time we go in there, we have the mindset that we're going to work our hardest and have fun."
(C) 2008 Central Florida Future via U-WIRE
