Tuesday Practice Observations For Florida State Prior To SMU

Florida State's defense was flying around on Tuesday.

FSU Athletics

Florida State kicked off the week with a practice on Tuesday morning with the Seminoles finally having a victory under their belt. The continued uptick in team morale and energy was obvious with the season already one-third of the way complete. The water breaks weren't as bustling as last week but they still provided some positive moments between the players and coaches.

It was the Florida State defense that controlled most of the day with bodies constantly flying to the ball and multiple forced turnovers. The offense did make plays here and there but it's clear defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and his unit have a little momentum to work with at the moment.

READ MORE: Florida State Releases Depth Chart For ACC Road Game Against SMU

Following practice, head coach Mike Norvell called it a day that the Seminoles can build upon. He saw a thirst for improvement but did note the practice got somewhat sloppy in the final periods.

NoleGameday was in attendance for the entire session and we jotted down some observations from multiple position groups. The Seminoles return to practice on Wednesday morning.

— The Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals had personnel viewing the practice.

— Ryan Fitzgerald connected from 43 yards out to conclude a successful possession by the offense. We weren't able to watch the special teams period today based on our vantage point.

OFFENSE:

— It was an up-and-down day for most of the offense. The offensive line had issues holding back the defensive front, the quarterbacks were inconsistent with ball placement, and the skill players dealt with issues holding onto the football. That's the same kind of picture we've seen from the unit on game days so far.

— Brock Glenn made the play of the day for the offense with an accurate deep ball to Darion Williamson that hit the redshirt senior in stride as he strolled into the end zone. The throw lofted when it came out of Glenn's hand but still ended up right where it needed to be. Glenn came back with a connection to Elijah Moore over the middle in 7-on-7. The throw was out in front of the true freshman and allowed Moore to make a play after the catch. He did have some misses in the middle portion of practice.

— DJ Uiagalelei's precision stood out as the practice progressed. He started to get into a rhythm with a throw on the move to Deuce Spann. The ball was in a good spot on the sideline for Spann to haul it in. That led to a stretch in 7-on-7 where Uiagalelei connected on four straight passes. The highlights were a throw to Malik Benson over the middle in stride and a quick release to Landen Thomas inside the numbers. Uiagalelei was the lone quarterback on the depth chart to not commit a turnover on Tuesday.

— Luke Kromenhoek had a nice read in 7-on-7, scanning one side of the field and coming back to the other to find Elijah Moore for a short gain.

— Tight end Landen Thomas put together a solid practice. He sealed a defender on a run to open up room for one of Kam Davis's larger gains of the day. Thomas also had a catch over the middle where he caught the ball in stride.

— Malik Benson had a tough catch on the sideline in 1-on-1's, reaching high while working back to the ball.

— Amaree Williams also stood out among the tight end group. He got away from a defender in 1-on-1's and made an athletic catch near the sideline, finishing the play with a diving effort.

— Elijah Moore showed off his verticality with a skying catch over the middle.

DEFENSE:

— Can a good game lead to more than just one productive Saturday? That's what we're going to find out about Marvin Jones Jr. He seemed to be much more enthusiastic during practice and there's a constant smile on his face. Mike Norvell and the coaching staff talked about wanting the Seminoles to have fun again and Jones Jr. looks like he's enjoying himself between the lines.

That led to a good practice on Tuesday morning with Jones Jr. constantly putting pressure on the quarterback and making plays around the line of scrimmage. His activity and effort led to a quick tackle on a short pass to a running back out of the backfield. Jones Jr. followed that up with a sack where he instantly read the play and got into DJ Uiagalelei's face. Look good, feel good, play good, MJJ.

— Quindarrius Jones is building off his effort over the weekend. He picked off a pass on an inaccurate ball where Jones made a terrific play on the ball, twisting his body back in the opposite direction to finish the pick. He nearly got another late in practice, deflecting a deep ball in the end zone with one hand. Ricky Knight III also ended up with an interception on an overthrown deep ball.

— Blake Nichelson and Juice Cryer flashed the most out of the linebackers. Nichelson, especially early, was a force. He combined with Darrell Jackson for a tackle for loss and got through to create another negative play on the next snap. Cryer had a nice stop on Lawrance Toafili, quickly identifying the run fit. Omar Graham Jr. also delivered a hit on Caziah Holmes.

— Ja'Bril Rawls forced a fumble late in practice. He also had a tackle for loss early on Tuesday.

— Charles Lester III is no longer working with the scout team, listed as the primary backup to Azareye'h Thomas. He made his presence known a few times throughout the day, including with a pass breakup with shadowing Jalen Brown over the middle. It looked to be a catch for the redshirt freshman but Lester ripped it out at the last second.

— Grady Kelly got in on a tackle for loss. Odell Haggins went out of his way to compliment Jamorie Flagg for his work against the offensive line.

— Timir Hickman-Collins forced a fumble late in practice.

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READ MORE: Florida State Clinches First Win of the Season In 14-9 Decision Over Cal Football

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