Florida State vs. Syracuse: Tuesday Practice Observations For The Seminoles
The Seminoles were back on the practice fields on Tuesday morning to continue working towards a sold-out home game against the Syracuse Orange. There was no lack of energy or focus throughout the session as the team looked up to the challenge issued by head coach Mike Norvell and the rest of the staff.
READ MORE: Mike Norvell Comments On Winston Wright Jr. Departing From Florida State
It felt like a competitive practice where both sides were able to flash at different times. Following the session, head coach Mike Norvell seemed pleased overall with the day as the team moves deeper into game week.
NoleGameday was in attendance for the entire session and jotted down some observations from the day.
— The Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, and Jacksonville Jaguars had representatives viewing practice from the sidelines.
— It wasn't a good kicking day for the Seminoles. Ryan Fitzgerald had a 39-yard attempt blocked by Jared Verse while missing from 31 yards and 43 yards out. Tyler Keltner made his attempts from 31 and 43 yards.
OFFENSE:
— It was an up-and-down day for quarterback Jordan Travis who had a mix of positive and negative moments. He had a nice connection with Ja'Khi Douglas on the outside during team drills before finding Keon Coleman in the end zone on a fourth down play. Travis also made an unusual mistake by firing a pass too far inside right to a defender as Coleman was working over the middle in 7-on-7. He responded from the mistake by completing three straight passes, including a dart where led Destyn Hill across the defense. The type of response you want to see from the star signal-caller.
— Keon Coleman had multiple impressive catches on the day, including a grab where Travis hit him in stride on a deep ball.
— The Seminoles are going to need Destyn Hill to continue to improve with Winston Wright Jr. moving on from the program. He was consistently getting open with some impressive footwork on Tuesday.
— It felt like tight end Jaheim Bell was assertive during the practice. He beat Conrad Hussey in 1-on-1's and created space for a tough catch on the sideline. Bell came back in team drills with a catch behind the defense for a big play.
— Vandrevius Jacobs had a strong rep in 1-on-1's where he corralled a deep ball despite having a defender draped all over him. He stopped to celebrate after the play before Norvell politely reminded him to finish.
— Darion Williamson made a catch on the sideline in 1-on-1's after getting some separation on a defender.
— Caziah Holmes earned some praise from the coaching staff after a couple of tough runs. He also had a catch out of the backfield where he was able to get into space after getting wide open.
— Markeston Douglas pulled down a catch on the sideline after sealing off a defender.
DEFENSE:
— Following his two-sack performance on Saturday, Jared Verse had plenty of juice throughout practice. That included two plays against the reserves during team drills where he got into the backfield so quickly that the coaching staff just let the action continue on rather than blowing it dead. Verse was his usual chatter-box self and backed it up on Tuesday.
— Kevin Knowles was strong in coverage on the day, pulling down an interception during 1-on-1's.
— It felt like an active practice for linebacker Tatum Bethune, who was constantly around the football. He provided pressure on a play that ended with a sack while also making a couple of stops around the line of scrimmage.
— Shyheim Brown continues to take a step forward during his first season as a full-time starter. He deflected a pass in 1-on-1's before nearly picking off Brock Glenn during 7-on-7.
— I thought Patrick Payton had a really nice lateral track on a ball carrier across the field for a tackle for loss. A perfect example of his athleticism and awareness on one play.
— Blake Nichelson had a nice stop on a running back who was trying to pound through a hole early in practice.
— Ashlynd Barker delivered a shot on tight end Kyle Morlock. Credit to the defender for the hit and the tight end for hanging on to the pass.
— There aren't many true freshmen who are primed to make a big impact on this squad this season. Most of them are toiling away and developing during a redshirt year. Cornerback Ja'Bril Rawls has been giving FSU some good looks on the scout team and that continued with an athletic deflection against Keon Coleman today.
— I mentioned Jordan Travis throwing an interception earlier in the article. I believe it was walk-on defensive back Christian White who was able to pull off the turnover. A quality practice piece for the Seminoles, White had another deflection later in the day.
READ MORE: Veteran Wide Receiver Is No Longer Listed On Florida State's Roster
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