Florida State vs. Clemson: Wednesday Practice Observations

Florida State continued preparations for the Clemson Tigers on Wednesday morning. The Seminoles were extremely focused throughout the session and also brought an edge of physicality. It was about where the team needs to be at this point in the week ahead of a showdown with a top opponent.

NoleGameday was in attendance for the session and we've listed some observations from different position groups and players below.

— The New York Jets were among the NFL teams that had representatives at practice.

— Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald came up short on his attempt from 48-yards at the end of two-minute drills. However, it looked like Shyheim Brown got a hand on the field goal and Dennis Briggs applied a lot of pressure as well. During the special teams portion of practice, Fitzgerald connected on kicks from 32 and 40 yards out. Aidan Shahriari matched Fitz on his attempts from the same distance. Solid outing from both kickers.

OFFENSE:

— Freshman tackle Julian Armella had a nice day overall, specifically in one-on-ones against the defensive linemen. In one specific rep, Armella got the best of Jared Verse tossing him to the ground with a physical rep. Alex Atkins has been coaching Armella hard but with that rep, he received some recognition. A nice day from the true freshman.

— Quarterback Jordan Travis was on point during two-minute drills but the defense made a couple of nice pass break-ups as well. Travis found Ontaria Wilson on the sideline for a first down before escaping from pressure to hit Ja'Khi Douglas for another conversion. He connected with a streaking Johnny Wilson with one second on the clock to set up the aforementioned field goal attempt that was blocked.

— The offensive line allowed too much pressure during the first half of practice. There were too many plays where Travis was forced to throw with a defender in his face or roll out of the pocket while being pursued. The unit picked up its play later in the day but they need to be sharp on Saturday against the best defensive line they'll play all year.

— On one of his roll-outs, Travis put a ball where only wide receiver Malik McClain could get it towards the sideline with two defenders on his heels.

— Wide receiver/running back Joshua Burrell made the catch of the day when he went up vertical to pull down a catch and get his feet in near the sideline.

— Wide receiver Johnny Wilson scored an easy touchdown in 1-on-1's. Ja'Khi Douglas matched it by getting a step on his defender and tapping both feet in. Near the end of the drill, Deuce Spann ran a nice route and utilized his lengthy frame to wall off Azareye'h Thomas from the ball.

— Quarterback Tate Rodemaker dumped off a pass to Rodney Hill at the goal line for a touchdown. The pass was a little short so he had to reach low to reel it in. On the next play, the ball was snapped to Rodemaker's feet so Hill scooped it up and dove into the end zone. Two nifty plays from the true freshman.

— Late in red zone drills, Hill made a beautiful cut for a touchdown and the coaches loved it. YAC and Norvell came running over to Hill to give him praise.

— Wide receiver Johnny Wilson ran a nice route that had a defensive back guessing which allowed him to score a touchdown in the red zone. Wilson dropped a pass in 7-on-7 but responded but bringing in his next two targets.

— Rodemaker threw into a tight window to McClain during 7-on-7. He also connected with Hill out of the backfield for a decent gain.

DEFENSE:

— Defensive tackle Joshua Farmer broke through the offensive line and got in Travis' face to force a bad throw on the first play of two-minute drills.

— Defensive back Kevin Knowles used his body to shield Mycah Pittman's field of vision on a pass that fell incomplete.

— Linebacker Brendan Gant flashed early on Wednesday. He played tight coverage on tight end Markeston Douglas to force an incompletion over the middle. On the ensuing play, Douglas was targeted again and Gant was right there to knock out the football.

— Defensive end Patrick Payton brought down running back Rodney Hill for a loss during team drills. He also applied pressure on Travis multiple times. Payton continues to come along.

— Defensive back Jarrian Jones made a nice play on the ball for a pick.

— Defensive back Greedy Vance pulled down an interception against the scout team. He carried that momentum into the second half of practice. Vance came unblocked off the edge for a sack on Tate Rodemaker in the red zone. A few plays later, Jordan Travis pitched out to a running back and the cornerback was already there for a stop. He unleashed a scream after the play and Gant ran over and yelled with him.

— Vance broke up a pass during 7-on-7 as he got to Markeston Douglas right as the ball did.

— Defensive back Omarion Cooper read a play before the ball was even snapped and leaped into positon for an interception on the sideline. He got both feet in.

— Linebacker DJ Lundy wasn't fooled when quarterback AJ Duffy pulled the ball on a run. He easily made the stop.

— It looked like Sam McCall and Jarrian Jones had a miscommunication while the defense worked against the scout team. Following the play, the two met up with defensive coordinator Adam Fuller to talk it out. From there, the defensive backfield didn't allow a first down completion over its next four reps.

Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the season.

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