Florida State at Syracuse: Tuesday Practice Observations
The Seminoles hit the practice fields on Tuesday morning to begin preparations for a road matchup with the Syracuse Orange. Following an emotional win over Miami on Saturday night, Florida State is moving on to its final three games of the season.
READ MORE: Mike Norvell comments on emotional discussion with Deuce Spann
NoleGameday was in attendance for the session and we've listed some observations from different position groups and players below.
— The Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals had representatives at practice on Tuesday.
— For the second straight week, the crowd noise was cranked up at practice as the Seminoles prepare to play Syracuse in the Carrier Dome. The team didn't seem phased in Miami.
— Kicker Ryan Fitzgerald was pure on his attempts from 30-yards and 41-yards. Backup kicker Aidan Shahriari connected on his lone try from 30-yards.
— Think it's worth noting that this team looks like it's having a ton of fun out on the practice field. Head coach Mike Norvell said this is among the most fun he's ever had as a coach and you can see it from the players as well. One moment that stood out; linebacker Tatum Bethune attempting to field punts during a waterbreak and Norvell joking with him to not get hurt.
OFFENSE:
— The practice began with some work down in the red zone in favor of Florida State's normal tempo/two-minute drills. Three short plays put the offense in a fourth down scenario inside the five. They were able to draw the defenses offsides for a conversion before Treshaun Ward punched it in up the gut.
— The offense felt like it was moving a step slow during the early portions of the morning. There were a couple of miscommunications between quarterbacks and wide receivers while the offensive line missed a few blocks. A perfect example was a throw from Jordan Travis to Johnny Wilson near the first-down marker. Wilson seemed to think the play was a run and had been attempting a block rather than looking for the ball. The wide receiver responded with a deep shot in 7-on-7 that he took the distance.
— Tight end Cam McDonald had a tough catch down the sideline in 1-on-1s. McDonald made another grab in team drills as Mycah Pittman freed him up with a block. On a similiar play, offensive lineman Darius Washington created a hole for the tight end for a decent gain. Travis found him again during 7-on-7.
— Wide receiver Ja'Khi Douglas pulled away a ball over the middle and used his speed to break away from the defensive back.
— Walk-on running back Caziah Holmes hit a hole up the middle during team drills for a big gain.
— Running back Lawrance Toafili used a filthy cut back across the field and then turned on the jets with a scamper into the secondary. Offensive guard D'Mitri Emmanuel got a hand on a defender at the second level to spring him.
— Travis fit in a tough pass to Ontaria Wilson near the end of practice with Sam McCall in coverage.
— Wide receiver Deuce Spann pulled down a ball over the middle that was slightly behind him. A nice adjustment to pull it in and cut upfield.
DEFENSE:
— Linebacker DJ Lundy did a nice job of tracking wide receiver Mycah Pittman during the early part of practice. Linebacker Amari Gainer avoided Darius Washington and stopped McDonald on a screen on the next snap.
— True freshman cornerback Sam McCall spent some time at cornerback. He tagged wide receiver Malik McClain right as the ball arrived for a stop. McCall had a miscommunication in 7-on-7 that freed up McClain deep later in the day.
— Linebacker Omar Graham Jr. read a play but took a bad angle to try and make the stop as the running back got to the edge. It was a moment that showed his instincts as well as an area he needs to continue to grow in.
— Azareye'h Thomas broke up a pass during 1-on-1s.
— True freshmen Ayobami Tifase and Antavious Woody both had dominant reps against offensive lineman Thomas Schrader. Tifase put the redshirt sophomore on hi back before Woody used violence at the point of attack to rip into the backfield.
— Tight coverage forced Travis to tuck and run in 7-on-7. Cornerback Omarion Cooper did a solid job of sticking with Ontaria Wilson on the play. He got some love from defensive coordinator Adam Fuller afterward.
— Cornerback Greedy Vance Jr. punched out a ball that appeared to be caught by tight end Markeston Douglas. On the next snap, Vance Jr. was in the right position to stop CJ Campbell for a tackle for loss.
READ MORE: Florida State leaves RB Cedric Baxter Jr. with a decision to make
Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the season.
