Five practice observations: Fan Fest

ENERGY BOOST: The bright lights of Bank of America Stadium brought extra energy to practice Friday. The offense wore black jerseys and black pants – a favorite look among the players – and the team exited the tunnel with a little added swagger. And when 55,060 fans are out there watching, the stakes are raised in each and every drill. "It was amazing," linebacker Luke Kuechly said. "The fans are so great. This was for practice – not even a game. The energy was awesome. We had a lot of fun out here." THROWING DARTS: Quarterback Cam Newton was in sync with his wide receivers. In an early one-on-one drill, Ted Ginn, Jr. shook free of cornerback Teddy Williams with a stop-and-go, and Newton delivered a strike. Later, he hooked up with Jerricho Cotchery on a quick back-shoulder touchdown throw with plenty of zip. The timing was perfect and the pass was simply indefensible for cornerback Lou Young. Corey Brown’s toe-tap against the sideline after running a crisp deep out resulted in another pretty pitch and catch. Kelvin Benjamin had yet another stellar outing – no surprise there – and he capped practice with a full-extension grab over the middle for a short touchdown catch from Newton. The second-year wideout is oozing confidence right now, and he was having fun interacting with fans throughout the night. BENE BACK: Cornerback Bene Benwikere made his training camp debut at Fan Fest. Head coach Ron Rivera was surprised the second-year corner was ready to return from a hamstring injury, but Benwikere felt prepared to take some limited reps. "It felt really good. I had the adrenaline going from the crowd. Everybody was real amped up," Benwikere said. "I need to work on the fatigue factor. I just haven’t been out there in pads. But it was really good to be back." BREAKAWAY SPEED: Rookie running back Cameron Artis-Payne had arguably the best run of the day toward the end of practice. The sixth-round draft choice burst through a hole on the left side and broke away from the secondary en route to a 40-yard touchdown scamper. COLLISION COURSE: The biggest hit of the evening came courtesy of linebacker Kevin Reddick, who zeroed in on rookie running back Brandon Wegher near the sideline. Wegher, a sturdy runner in his own right, hit the turf in a hurry after Reddick lowered his shoulder and made contact. EXTRA POINT: Defensive end Charles Johnson was given a veteran’s day off.