Florida State Football Practice Observations: BYE week Wednesday
The Seminoles hit the practice field for their first open session of the week after defeating the LSU Tigers. Though Florida State won't have a game on Friday, there are still plenty of corrections to make after a close win over the Tigers. The team is also making early preparations for a Friday night trip to Louisville next week.
READ MORE: Recruits react to Florida State's thrilling victory over LSU
NoleGameday was in attendance for the session and we've listed some observations from different position groups and players below.
— The Seminoles are 2-0 under head coach Mike Norvell in 2022. This is the first time that the program has been able to get off to a successful start under Norvell and it's evident that he won't allow any drop-off from the team. From the beginning to the end of practice, Norvell held everyone accountable from players to coaches to even whoever was tasked to play the music. He called the practice “average” when speaking with the media following the session. This was one of the first times he’s called out the team this fall.
— The New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins had representatives at practice.
— Florida State has a BYE week but the crowd noise has already returned. The Seminoles turned up the speakers whenever they were inside the IPF. Early preparation for a Friday night road game at Louisville is clearly underway.
OFFENSE:
— Quarterback Jordan Travis found an open Markeston Douglas on the right side of the field early in practice for a big gain.
— Quarterback Tate Rodemaker placed a beautiful ball on the sidelines to Keyshawn Helton where only the fifth-year senior could grab it to end two-minute drills.
— Travis made a throw in rhythm to Malik McClain, who got a step on the defensive back to get open.
— Tight end Cam McDonald used his body to shield off Jammie Robinson on a catch in one on ones.
— Wide receiver Keyshawn Helton made a fantastic adjustment to bring in a ball that was thrown behind him in one on ones.
— True freshman tight end Jerrale Powers corraled a pass over the middle from quarterback AJ Duffy.
— Transfer running back Caziah Holmes pulled down a catch out of the backfield. He find some room on the right side with one of the best runs of the day in team drills.
— Wide receiver Deuce Spann caught a pass in traffic.
— Running back Treshaun Ward and running back Trey Benson each caught passes out of the backfield for big gains.
— The offensive line did not have its best day as the unit allowed some pressure and struggled at times during practice.
DEFENSE:
— The defensive line came up big following a standout performance against LSU. The unit as a whole was able to generate pressure and record multiple sacks/tackles for loss throughout the session.
— Defensive end Jared Verse was everywhere on Wednesday morning. He was constantly applying pressure and finding ways to get around the football.
— Defensive end Dennis Briggs got involved early with a tackle for loss during two-minute drills.
— Defensive end Leonard Warner shed an offensive tackle and laid a pop on a running back for no gain.
— Defensive tackle Daniel Lyons pulled down a tackle for loss in team drills.
— Defensive end Derrick McLendon and Tatum Bethune blew up a running play to bring down Rodney Hill for a loss in team drills.
— Defensive tackle Malcolm Ray and linebacker DJ Lundy combined for a tackle for loss. A few plays later, Ray made back-to-back tackles for loss. On one snap, he came in unblocked and brought down a running back.
— Linebacker DJ Lundy engaged an offensive tackle and forced him back into the running back for a stop.
— Linebacker Brendan Gant recorded a sack after coming free off of the edge.
— Linebacker Omar Graham Jr. got in on a tackle for loss.
— Defensive back Jammie Robinson used his eyes to nearly intercept Jordan Travis in the end zone. However, the ball fell off his hands. There was a similar play later in practice where Robinson couldn't quite hook it in.
— One of the plays of the day for the defense came when cornerback Greedy Vance deflected a pass that was intended for Mycah Pittman and Jarrian Jones came down with an interception after locating the ball in the air.
— Defensive back Azareye'h Thomas nearly came down with an interception.
READ MORE: Former Penn State running back enrolls at Florida State
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