He led the Bucs with 74 yards rushing on 19 carries (3.9 average) and a touchdown while also pacing the team with four catches for 16 yards.

Bennett also displayed his world class speed, taking a pitch from quarterback Chris Simms and turning the corner for a 31 yard gain - the longest of the game.

For Bennett, who was acquired last season from the Kansas City Chiefs just before the trading deadline, the workload was welcome.

Last season, his limited familiarity with Jon Gruden's offense prevented him from playing more.

"I really like Mike Bennett," said Bucs quarterback Luke McCown. "I think he looked pretty good last year with limited understanding of the offense. He can be a real weapon for us. He's got unbelievable speed and when he gets on the edge, you're not going to catch him."

You have to go back to Week 13 of 2005 when Bennett was playing for the Minnesota Vikings, to find a game where he was as much of a focal point of the offense as Saturday. That's the last time he has many rushing attempts and yards when he carried 18 times for 70 yards in a win over the St. Louis Rams.

Running backs Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn started for the Bucs in the backfield Saturday, but it was only a cameo and neither player had a rushing attempt.

The plan was to get Bennett as much work as possible, reading blitzes, recognizing defensive fronts and getting his legs under him.

"It definitely means a lot, especially at the running back position," Bennett said. "A receiver can go in, run a great route and make a big catch but as a running back you really need to get into the rhythm of the game. You have to know how their defense is playing and how their linebackers are running. I think that once you get adjusted to that, you can really dictate what they're going to do."

There were times last season when Bennett did know what to do. He had some nice moments in games but couldn't really crack the lineup because of Graham's success and his unfamiliarity with some pass protections.

Gruden bristles any time it is suggested that his offense is not one players can dive into during the middle of a season. But the trade put Bennett behind.

"It's not hard to catch on," Gruden said. ""We had 14 different receivers. Whoever started that rumor really needs to check in and get the facts straight.

"He had 19 carries (Saturday) and he made a couple mistakes he's got to clean up to be a force. He's got to be able to play in every situation. I was really pleased the way he ran (Saturday). He had a really good draw, showcased his speed and had a couple nice pickups versus the blitz."

Playing alongside Graham and Dunn, Bennett's role will be to enter the game and provide home runs, big gains using his speed in the passing and running game. He showed a flash of it Saturday with his long dash to set up a 1-yard touchdown run.

"It was just a great call and great blocking by the offensive lineman," Bennett said. "I was able to get out into open space and I wish I could've gotten in but it's the preseason so we're still working on some things."

But work is exactly what Bennett is hoping for.

CAMP CALENDAR: The Bucs reported to the Celebration Hotel on Friday, July 25. The first workout was Saturday, July 26 at Disney's Wide World of Sports. The Bucs break camp Aug. 14.