Florida State Football Practice Observations: BYE Week Tuesday #2
The Seminoles hit the practice field to begin their second BYE week of the season on a chilly and windy Tuesday morning. Florida State is using the time off to hone in on the little details while also allowing some players to heal up. The practice was shortened by roughly 45 minutes as younger members of the roster got a lot of work down the stretch.
READ MORE: Kickoff time announced for Florida State's home game against Georgia Tech
NoleGameday was in attendance for the session and we've listed some observations from different position groups and players below.
— Florida State isn't preparing for an opponent this Saturday, which means players that are normally in scout team jerseys were back in their regular uniforms. It certainly makes it a lot easier to identify the entire roster.
— Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald made all five of his field goal attempts on the day. He hit his lone kick during two-minute drills before connecting from 32 and 40 yards twice during the special team's portion of practice.
Offense:
— Wide receiver Winston Wright Jr. is continuing to make progress in his return from a leg injury that he suffered as a passenger in a car accident during the spring. A few weeks ago, the transfer began doing individual work with the wide receivers such as catching passes from the quarterbacks on air. On Tuesday, Wright Jr. competed in 1-on-1s against the defensive backs for the first time this fall. At one point, Norvell pulled Wright Jr. to the side and personally worked with him on a route concept. It sounds like there are still some hurdles to jump through before he returns to game action but it certainly appears that he's getting closer.
— Deuce Spann had a really nice impressive snag deep in 1-on-1s with the defensive back right by his hip. Spann stuck with the ball and brought it down. A few reps later he did it again but this time making separation midfield from the defensive back. His speed sometimes isn’t fair against defensive backs, certainly if he’s able to get into stride.
— Running back Trey Benson found some space early in practice during two-minute drills. Made a nice cut to spring loose and followed it up with another nice move in the open field during team drills.
— Wide receiver Malik McClain had a strong practice. He got a step on Omarion Cooper for a catch on his rep during 1-on-1s. McClain followed that up with two really tough catches on the sideline where he adjusted to bring the ball in despite tight coverage. The sophomore made a few more grabs during 7-on-7 and team drills, earning some vocal praise from Norvell.
— Wide receiver Mycah Pittman made a cut to get some space on Shyheim Brown and brought in a catch despite getting tackled to the ground. Pittman got away from Jammie Robinson with ease on his next rep.
— Wide receiver Ontaria Wilson ran a fantastic route that had defensive back Sam McCall guessing. Wilson broke away for an easy catch.
— Offensive lineman Julian Armella was beaten initially by defensive end Leonard Warner during 1-on-1s. However, he used his athleticism to stay with him and then put the veteran defender on his back when he twisted back inside to try and get to the quarterback.
— Didn't think it was the sharpest practice from the quarterbacks, a lot of throws off target. Tate Rodemaker put together some consistency in the latter half of practice.
Defense:
— Star defensive tackle Fabien Lovett looks to be much more mobile than he has been in recent weeks. Norvell noted that Lovett tried to play against Clemson but that it wouldn't have been fair to put the Mississippi native out there while he was still not 100%. Fellow veteran Robert Cooper said that he was happy to see 'Fabo' back on the practice field and that the interior defensive line will only play better as the unit heals up.
— Redshirt junior defensive back Renardo Green flashed numerous times during the day. The coaching staff tested him throughout the day with multiple receivers but for a majority it, he was lockdown. One play specifically, Green held tight coverage against Ontaria Wilson deep and ended up deflecting a pass in mid air. He almost came away with an interception off the side of the field against wide receiver Ja'Khi Douglas.
— During 7-on-7 drills DJ Lundy grabbed an interception on Jordan Travis on a short throw. Lundy read the play perfectly and got ahead of the tight end to make a play. The entire defense went to celebrate with the redshirt junior linebacker.
— Defensive end Derrick McLendon made a great read in two-minute drills to recognize a running back screen and force Jordan Travis to throw a football at his feet.
— Defensive end Leonard Warner got to Travis for a sack in two-minute drills.
— Defensive tackle Daniel Lyons continues to pop up during practice. He combined with another interior defensive lineman to plug up the offensive line and stop Rodney Hill at the line of scrimmage.
— Cornerback Greedy Vance nearly came away with an interception. Tate Rodemaker was pressured on the play by defensive end Patrick Payton and the ball didn't come out of his hand cleanly.
— Defensive lineman Dennis Briggs utilized a nice rip move to get by D'Mitri Emmanuel without much of an issue during 1-on-1s.
— Safety Jarques McClellion came away with an interception on a pass that was thrown into traffic behind a wide receiver.
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