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RALEIGH -- N.C. State's preseason practice is off to a stormy start.

The Wolfpack got in about three-quarters of its first workout Monday before lightning and a heavy downpour forced the coaches to call off the last 30 minutes of practice.

Players huddled under a shelter at the practice field during the storm, "oohing" and laughing at every thunder clap and lightning bolt. At one point, a sideline yard marker began floating in a stream of rainwater that had drained to the side of the field.

The delay lasted about 45 minutes before coach Tom O'Brien called it a day.

"I've had days like this," O'Brien said. "There isn't anything you can do about it. You don't worry about weather."

It wasn't quite what the Wolfpack players and coaches had envisioned when they took the field in the late afternoon sun and heat. N.C. State was the first of the state's four ACC schools to begin practice.

"I'm sure it's not raining all over the ACC right now," defensive end Willie Young said, "so we have to really come out (today) and make up for the five or six periods we missed."

O'Brien said he saw some things to feel good about in the abbreviated workout, primarily the continuity of players being in his system for a third season. That includes Russell Wilson, who entered last year in an open competition for the starting quarterback job and ended up becoming an all-ACC first-team pick.

"Today's a great day, getting going and starting a new season," Wilson said. "I feel a lot more comfortable out there."

O'Brien said much of the team will continue taking exams from summer classes today.

FLORIDA STATE: A judge will consider arguments that the school cannot use a law firm as a go-between to keep documents on an academic cheating scandal secret. Media lawyers wrote an appeal to have the papers made public.

The documents are part of Florida State's appeal of an NCAA plan to remove wins from the individual records of coaches and athletes in 10 sports regardless of whether they were involved in the cheating. That would cost Bobby Bowden 14 victories in his quest to become college football's all-time leader.

The NCAA sent the information electronically to a law firm. The appeal argues the information became public record when it was received on the school's behalf.

GEORGIA TECH: The Yellow Jackets opened practice with only six scholarship seniors.

Only three seniors -- outside linebacker Sedric Griffin, offensive guard Cord Howard and center Dan Voss -- are listed as starters. Cornerback Martin Frierson, defensive tackle Jason Hill and offensive tackle Brad Sellers are fifth-year seniors.

AP writers Charles Odum and Bill Kaczor contributed.