Wednesday Practice Observations For Florida State Prior To California

The Seminoles had one of their most positive practices in weeks on Wednesday.

FSU Athletics

Florida State practiced for the second straight day on a muggy Wednesday morning in Tallahassee. Following the session, head coach Mike Norvell expressed his pleasure with the energy and competitiveness throughout the day and called it one of the better practices from the defense.

As far as energy and enthusiasm, I would tend to agree, It was certainly one of the best sessions that I've observed in quite some time in that facet. That's a positive compared to the last couple of weeks, as there was constant chatter between the offense and defense. It was exactly the edge I've been waiting for the Seminoles to bring since the season started.

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

Whether that leads to a better showing on Saturday remains to be seen. There were too many drops throughout the day and the overall play of the offensive line wasn't spectacular. Florida State still has some work to do before it kicks off against Cal in a few days.

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 prior to playing Cal.

— The Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tennessee Titans had representatives watching practice.

— The streak is finally over - barely. Ryan Fitzgerald was just wide on an attempt from a whopping 61 yards out. He had the distance but not the accuracy. Fitzgerald responded with makes from 31 yards and 48 yards. Jake Weinberg connected from 48 yards out.

OFFENSE:

— I thought Brock Glenn was pretty good on Wednesday. There are certainly some ball placement issues that need to be cleaned up but his quick decision-making and mobility bring a different flavor that the offense lacks with DJ Uiagalelei at the moment. Glenn had a 'wow' moment on a pass where he instantly fired a throw to Elijah Moore in the end zone with a defender getting into his face. The speed with which he recognized the incoming blitz while finding his receiver was impressive.

Glenn also had a pair of deep shots that connected on target. He found Ja'Khi Douglas in 1-on-1's with a lofted throw to the sideline that hit the veteran in stride. Glenn's best pass came on a touchdown to Kyle Morlock in the corner of the end zone with multiple defenders in the area. He showed off his legs with a scramble for a score as well.

— DJ Uiagalelei had his moments throughout the practice but I still feel like he's a step slow when it comes to deciding where he wants to throw the ball. For instance, on a touchdown pass to Landen Thomas, it took Uiagalelei a couple of seconds to find the open tight end working over the middle and I thought it could've been a sack in a game situation. He did have a nice connection with Kyle Morlock where he put the pass in the right spot. Uiagalelei threw a touchdown to Ja'Khi Douglas in goal-line work.

— Luke Kromenhoek's mobility in and outside the pocket stood out a few times. At one point, he took off on a scramble and slid in the middle of the field. Not something you see often in practice due to the green non-contact jersey but that's smart preparation to avoid a potential hit in a game.

— The tight ends were pretty solid. Kyle Morlock had another good day, Jackson West stood out, and Amaree Williams showed up a few times.

— Jackson West had a rep in 1-on-1's where he ran a terrific route that caused Conrad Hussey to slip as the tight end caught a touchdown. The moment drew an audible reaction from the offense and defense. A few players ran out on the field to point at where Hussey slipped while two defensive backs tried to cover up the spot on the field. It was a funny sequence in the middle of one of the more competitive periods of the practice.

DEFENSE:

— The energy felt infectious on Wednesday and it all started to generate behind the effort of young defensive backs such as Quindarrius Jones, Conrad Hussey, KJ Kirkland, and Ja'Bril Rawls. Kirkland was constantly chirping throughout the practice, in a good way. Jones, Hussey, and Kirkland chipped in as well at different points. All four backed it up with the way they performed on the field.

— Hussey nearly picked off DJ Uiagalelei on a play where he read where the pass was going and reacted as the ball was thrown. Jones played some extremely physical coverage in 1-on-1's, leading to multiple pass breakups.

— Kevin Knowles couldn't quite come down with an interception in the corner of the end zone. Ashlynd Barker picked off a pass but was ruled out of bounds. Earl Little Jr. had a diving attempt for an interception that bounced off his hands early in practice.

— Blake Nichelson and Patrick Payton combined to converge the pocket for a sack in team drills. Sione Lolohea and Grady Kelly also got through for a sack.

— Shyheim Brown went vertical to tip a pass for a deflection early in the day. It would've led to a big play without his effort.

— Davonte Brown stuck with Kyle Morlock on a deep ball and punched out the pass at the end to prevent a completion.

— DeMarco Ward had a leaping pass deflection in 7-on-7.

---

READ MORE: Former FSU Star Reasons With Fanbase Amidst Struggles

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

• NoleGameday Staff Score Predictions: Florida State Seminoles vs. Memphis Tigers

• Simulating FSU Football vs. Memphis in EA College Football 25

• ESPN's Paul Finebaum Praises FSU's Mike Norvell Despite 0-2 Start

• Game Preview: Florida State Seminoles vs. Memphis Tigers