JACKSON – The New Orleans Saints decided they had had enough of the Mississippi heat.

Coach Sean Payton canceled the Wednesday afternoon practice and cut short the Wednesday morning workout at Millsaps College. By noon, the Saints were on buses headed to the airport for a flight to the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice facility in Ohio for a pair of practices today with the Bengals before Saturday night’s preseason contest in Cincinnati.

The Saints closing of training camp leaves the Millsaps facilities back in the hands of the Majors.

&#8220I think all indications are the Saints staff liked what they saw from Millsaps this year,” Millsaps coach Mike Dubose said before taking his 115 players out for a 3 p.m. practice at Harper Davis Field.

Payton said he was pleased with how this camp went at Millsaps, but did not commit on a return. Payton said that decision will rest with owner Tom Benson and general manager Mickey Loomis.

One of the big issues for the Saints was a creation of a 100-yard long lower-level field. The field was built but the Saints were unable to use it during their three weeks here. Instead, they conducted a couple of practices at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

&#8220I think the lower field is now in excellent shape and by this time next year, it will be in outstanding shape so you’ve got the fields now, you’re heading into the right direction,” Payton said.

Dubose said he doesn’t expect to use the lower field much this fall.

&#8220We like to practice on the upper fields and on our own playing field. It’s hot, but we think practicing on a hot field gets us ready for our opponents. We think it’s an advantage for us,” Dubose said.

Vicksburg’s six-player contingent at Millsaps said there was not as much interaction with the Saints this year as there was in 2006.

&#8220They had a different time schedule than us,” said Millsaps senior defensive tackle Casey Younger, a former Vicksburg High Gator. &#8220And they weren’t here as long.”

This year’s Saints camp lasted a week-and-a-half shorter than last year. A preseason game with Indianapolis at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Aug. 24 was the main reason for the difference.

Millsaps safety and former Vicksburg High Gator Ray Kline did say he got to converse with Saints’ defensive tackle McKinley Boykin about football.

Another former Gator, Marcus Stokes, said he was able to get pointers, and other things, from Saints defensive end Charles Grant.

&#8220He gave me his scooter again,” Stokes said of Grant. &#8220I did get a chance to work with him some. He remembered me from last year. They’re a lot like us.”

Younger said his summer was too busy to worry about the Saints.

&#8220I was working for Briggs Hopson’s campaign,” Younger said of the Vicksburg attorney who is running for a state senate seat. &#8220He won the (Republican) primary and we’re now working on the general election. I mainly put up signs and did a lot of door-to-door work. It was a great experience for me.”

Millsaps’ other three Vicksburg players are all-conference cornerback Marcus Harris of Vicksburg High and two freshmen signees from St. Aloysius in John Robert Burnett and Jordan Granville.