Florida State vs. Georgia: Tuesday Practice Observations For The Seminoles

Orange Bowl preparation continues in Tallahassee.

The Seminoles have been preparing for a date with the Georgia Bulldogs in the Orange Bowl over the last couple of weeks. The team returned to practice during a chilly morning in Tallahassee amidst a period where multiple players have opted out or transferred.

It is a tumultuous time but there was no evident effect on the intensity or focus of the practice. The Seminoles had plenty of energy and Mike Norvell is still coaching as hard as ever. There's no doubt that the disappointment has been tough to swallow around the program but everyone is moving forward as best they can to dial in on achieving a 14-0 record.

As we did during Florida and Louisville week, the practice reports will be less detailed moving forward to prevent any competitive disadvantages. NoleGameday was in attendance for the entire session and jotted down some observations from the day.

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— Despite the cold weather, Ryan Fitzgerald was in a rhythm. He connected from 32 yards, 42 yards, and 44 yards.

OFFENSE:

— It's been a tough season for Kentron Poitier while fighting through injuries. The time off over the last few weeks seems to have allowed him to get closer to his normal self. Poitier hauled in a touchdown pass from Tate Rodemaker in the corner of the end zone and came down with a deep ball after getting behind the defense in team drills.

— Running back Caziah Holmes has a chance to play a big role in the bowl game with the recent transfers and NFL Draft declarations. He appears ready to take advantage of the opportunity. Holmes had two impressive scampers early in practice where he displayed his patience and vision to wait for the play to develop. There was definitely an extra bounce in his step.

— True freshman wide receiver Hykeem Williams is another skill player who has been banged up late in the season. He finally looks to be on the right track after missing multiple games. Williams caught a pass over the middle where he had plenty of space for a massive gain. He came back with a long grab downfield during team drills.

— Joshua Burrell is listed as an athlete on Florida State's roster and that's exactly what he is. Burrell spent the practice transitioning between wide receiver and running back and showed off some impressive effort. He had a nice catch on the sideline on a route out of the backfield.

—Jackson West, FSU's Most Improved Offensive Player of the 2023 season, had a nifty grab over the middle.

— Brian Courtney came down with a wild catch on the sideline during 1-on-1's.

DEFENSE:

— Defensive end Patrick Payton had some impressive moments throughout practice. He worked right around Jeremiah Byers during tempo drills for a sack on Tate Rodemaker and had a strong bull rush in 1-on-1's where he forced an offensive lineman off-balance to make a play. 

— Blake Nichelson was in the right place at the time. A pass deflected off a wide receiver's hands into the air and Nichelson was in position to pull it down for an interception.

— Kevin Knowles had a nice interception in 1-on-1's on a pass that was thrown on the wrong side of a wide receiver's body, allowing the defensive back to make a crafty pick. He also had a pass deflection during the same period that drew a reaction from the defense.

— Daniel Lyons stuffed up the offensive line to wrap up Caziah Holmes for a tackle for loss.

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