Tuesday Practice Observations For Florida State Prior To Duke

The offense struggled to get into a consistent rhythm on Tuesday.

FSU Athletics

Florida State practiced for the second straight day on Tuesday morning as the conference matchup against Duke draws closer. Once again, the music was lowered for the majority of the session as the Seminoles let their work bring the noise.

In general, it felt like a clunky day for the offense. Part of that was due to a strong showing from the other side of the ball but there were consistent breakdowns with protection, dropped balls, and inaccurate passes. The pass rush seemed to get the offense out of rhythm too often.

READ MORE: Florida State Releases Depth Chart For Friday Night Game At Duke

Following practice, head coach Mike Norvell called it a big week for his team to see growth and improvement. He noted that the Seminoles went through different situations on Tuesday such as two-minute, third-down, and goal line.

NoleGameday was in attendance for the entire session and we jotted down some observations from multiple position groups. The Seminoles won't hold another open practice before taking on Duke on Friday Night.

— Ryan Fitzgerald connected with ease from 33 yards (x2) and 41 yards (x2). One of the kicks went through an open window on the top floor of the Indoor Practice Facility, drawing a reaction from those watching the drill.

OFFENSE:

— The quarterbacks didn't get much help from the offensive line or pass-catchers, especially early in practice. Most of the success came in the second half of the day with Brock Glenn putting together a good sequence in 7-on-7. The highlights included a completion to Jalen Brown over the middle and a downfield shot to Landen Thomas for a big play.

— Luke Kromenhoek struggled with decision-making at times but did connect with BJ Gibson for a touchdown in the corner of the end zone during 1-on-1's. He followed that up with a big play down the seam to Brian Courtney later in practice. The tight end made a great catch on the play, initially bobbling the ball in traffic before securing it as he went to the ground.

— BJ Gibson got free for a big play in 1-on-1's after easily beating Shyheim Brown with his release. Gibson hauled in the pass over his shoulder while staying in stride. He caught a touchdown later in the day but also had a drop on a play where he had space around him.

— Kam Davis had the explosive run of the day with a scamper up the left side for a touchdown. It didn't even look like Davis got touched.

— Malik Benson ran a great route in 1-on-1's to create just enough space on Fentrell Cypress II for a grab over the middle.

— Jalen Brown made a nice adjustment for a grab on the sideline in 1-on-1's. He scored a touchdown later in the same drill after getting open over the middle.

— Amaree Williams shined once again. The true freshman came down with a difficult catch on the sideline in contested coverage, reaching low to find the ball while staying inbounds. He earned some praise for his blocking later in practice, putting a veteran defensive end on their back.

— Credit to Ja'Khi Douglas for sticking with a short throw over the middle while basically velcroed to Ja'Bril Rawls. The ball was seemingly picked off but Douglas kept fighting and ripped it out of Rawls' hands for a touchdown. Good effort from both players on the rep.

— Darion Williamson scored a touchdown in the back of the end zone. Kevin Knowles couldn't leap high enough to deflect it.

— Kentron Poitier caught a pass just short of the end zone but he made a filthy move after the catch to freeze a defender, giving him just enough time to cross the goal line.

DEFENSE:

— The defense was consistently getting pressure on the quarterback with a variety of sacks throughout the day practice. It started early as Marvin Jones Jr. easily beat Jeremiah Byers on back-to-back reps in a two-minute situation. On the second sack, Jones Jr. exploded off the edge and made his way to Brock Glenn without any resistance. Redshirt freshman KJ Sampson won the drill for the defense with a sack as time expired.

— Patrick Payton was dominant at times. He broke through the offensive line for a sack in team drills during the middle portion of practice. Payton kept the momentum going, racking up two more sacks in the red zone.

— Kevin Knowles III went vertical for an interception on the sideline in 1-on-1's. Great play on the ball.

— Brock Glenn's arm was hit on a pass, causing a throw to sail too high for Hykeem Williams. The ball bounced off Williams' outstretched hand and popped into the air with redshirt junior Shyheim Brown tracking it for an interception.

— Edwin Joseph came down with an interception on a deep ball but the play was waved off due to an offsides penalty.

— Azareye'h Thomas, Quindarrius Jones, and Ja'Bril Rawls were stout in coverage, recording multiple pass breakups.

— Ricky Knight III broke up a pass intended for Deuce Spann in the corner of the end zone. He showed off his reaction time later in practice, reading and exploding on a short pass for an emphatic deflection. The play came after a physical tackle on the prior rep.

---

READ MORE: Dabo Swinney Praises FSU Legend Bobby Bowden After Record-Breaking Win

Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Football Throughout the 2024 Season

Follow NoleGameday on and Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok

More Florida State News

•  Florida State's Alex Atkins Discusses Offensive Ineptitude

•  Adam Fuller Takes Full Responsibility for FSU's Defensive Struggles

• FSU Football Drops Out Of Top 50 In ESPN SP+ Rankings

• FSU Football's Mike Norvell Recaps Brock Glenn's Performance Against Clemson