PITTSBURGH - Pitt football coach Dave Wannstedt said he was striving for perfection in his first training camp with the team, but after the opening practice, the Panthers aren't there yet.

"We obviously have to get back to the fundamentals. We dropped passes today and we just weren't as sharp as you'd like. I guess you could say it was the first day, but that's the easy way out," Wannstedt said Wednesday. "We've got to be able to do the basic things better. I would expect them to come in and not be very sharp on their assignments, but after we watch the film I would expect some definite improvement (Thursday)."

Redshirt junior quarterback Tyler Palko, a second-year starter, also expected to be sharper despite it being the opening workout.

"I missed a few receivers, and we had a few drops," Palko said. "We're not near where we want to be for the start of the regular season, but we have a few weeks to go."

Since Pitt had a late-afternoon start to practice, the temperature rose into the 90s with high humidity. And Wannstedt loved it.

Wannstedt had the team do a little bit of extra running after practice.

"I think the heat's good for us. You can't manufacture this kind of weather ever again, and I think we have to take advantage of it being warm while we have it," Wannstedt said.

Wannstedt, however, still lamented the first days of camp when the players are in shorts. The Panthers can add shoulder pads to their camp wardrobe Friday and Saturday and go to full gear for full contact Sunday.

"For the linemen, to be quite honest with you, I'd just as soon go watch paint dry than practice without pads on," Wannstedt said. "When you don't have pads on, especially with the linemen, all you can tell them is back off and slow down. And that's so contrary to what we're trying to get done out here. So, you try to spend more time on assignments, and that's what we did today."

Notes:

Senior left tackle Charles Spencer suffered from cramps during the running drills after practice, but Wannstedt expected him back Thursday. ... Freshman Mick Williams completed his academic requirements and was on time for practice. ... Wannstedt praised DE Charles Sallet and RB Tim Murphy, two players who missed the spring recovering from surgery, for their performances in the first practice.