Florida State At Pittsburgh: Tuesday Practice Observations For The Seminoles

Buying in on Jeremiah Byers, Ja'Khi Douglas responds, Braden Fiske picks off a pass, and Blake Nichelson continues to show his vast potential.

The Seminoles hit the practice fields on Tuesday morning to continue preparations for a road game against the Pittsburgh Panthers. There was plenty of energy and emotion on display throughout a practice that got chippy at certain points.

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Head coach Mike Norvell was looking for more controlled physicality coming out of the day but was happy with the way the team was flying around. With that being said, it's obvious the Seminoles aren't getting caught going through the motions ahead of a potential trap game.

NoleGameday was in attendance for the entire session and jotted down some observations from the day.

— The Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Las Vegas Raiders had personnel viewing the session.

— Ryan Fitzgerald missed his first attempt wide right from 40 yards out. He responded as the practice went on, connecting from 29 yards and 46 yards. Tyler Keltner matched him from the same distances.

— Norvell was vocally pleased with the effort during the special teams portion of practice, singling out Jackson West for his performance in a drill.

OFFENSE:

— It was tough sledding for the offense early in practice as they were mostly held in check during tempo drills. A short pass to Markeston Douglas on the outside and a first-down scamper by Lawrance Toafili were some of the highlights of the period.

— Running back Rodney Hill was able to get up to the second level on a run to the left side. Jeremiah Byers created some room by getting in front of Hill and making an alley that the running back followed up the sideline.

— Speaking of Byers, he's playing his best football since arriving in Tallahassee. He really began to settle in on the field throughout the last couple of weeks, playing every single snap with the starters at right tackle against Duke and Wake Forest. Byers just seems more confident in how he's operating and that was evident with a strong performance in 1-on-1's against the defensive line, coming away with back-to-back wins against Patrick Payton and Byron Turner Jr.

In general, there were a ton of battles between the two units that carried over well beyond the whistle. I thought the level of physicality was certainly cranked up a notch, mostly in a good way.

— It was a day of response for wide receiver Ja'Khi Douglas after he dropped an open pass in the end zone on Florida State's fourth down play. He had another uncharacteristic miscue against the scout team before starting to find his footing as the day went on. Douglas ran a good route to lose a defender in 1-on-1's, making multiple catches during the period. He continued that into 7-on-7 as Travis once again found him consistently. Good to see him shake it off after making his first catch of the season over the weekend.

— I've got to bring up another wide receiver because Joshua Burrell had a very impactful practice. He caught a pass from Brock Glenn in team drills that was probably the most successful play by the offense during the sequence. Burrell followed that up with a tough catch in 1-on-1's against Azareye'h Thomas where he had to fully extend while working back to the football on the sideline. 

— Tate Rodemaker connected with wide receiver Vandrevius Jacobs on a deep pass in 1-on-1's.

— Wide receiver Darion Williamson had a couple of moments throughout the day. He held on to a throw late in practice where he had to turn to make the catch as he was being hit from the front. Williamson held on through the contact.

— Offensive lineman Darius Washington had a solid showing. He was one of the more consistent players upfront, even sticking with Jared Verse for a win in 1-on-1's against the defensive line.

DEFENSE:

— Defensive tackle Braden Fiske read a play prior to the snap and put himself in position for an interception. It was a crafty move from the veteran that had the entire defense in an uproar and multiple coaches running over to celebrate with Fiske.

— Every so often, true freshman linebacker Blake Nichelson has a flash that really makes you open your eyes. On Tuesday, it was his effort in coverage against Markeston Douglas in 1-on-1's. Matched up on a route down the sideline, Nichelson went vertical and got some serious air to deflect a pass. It was reminiscent of the near interception he made against Southern Miss. Just an impressive display of instincts and athleticism that will be fun to watch as Nichelson continues to hone in on consistency.

— Azareye'h Thomas was playing physical coverage throughout practice, laying a hit on tight end Jaheim Bell that forced the ball out on a pass that is normally hauled in.

— Fentrell Cypress II got in position for a pass deflection during 7-on-7.

— Shortly after Fiske's interception, defensive end Dante Anderson emphatically batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage.

— DJ Lundy combined with Fiske for a tackle for loss early in practice before getting to Travis for a sack later in the day.

— There were some displays of dominance from defensive tackle Joshua Farmer on Tuesday. The defensive line in general brought an edge that forced the offensive line to step up and match them.

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