Florida State vs. North Alabama: Tuesday Practice Observations For The Seminoles
The final game in Doak Campbell Stadium in 2023 has arrived for the Seminoles. It's been a journey of twists and turns that Florida State has navigated successfully despite a number of challenges along the path. Now, there are only a few days remaining until the seniors and some other members of the team wear the garnet and gold in Tallahassee for the last time.
FSU held its first open practice of the week on Tuesday morning as the team prepares for North Alabama. Head coach Mike Norvell wants the team to focus on improvement and playing its best game of the season against the Lions.
NoleGameday was in attendance for the entire session and jotted down some observations from the day.
— The Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets had representatives viewing the practice.
— Ryan Fitzgerald connected on live attempts from 27 yards, 39 yards, and 42 yards out. Tyler Keltner matched him from 27 but was wide from 42 yards.
OFFENSE:
— Quarterback Jordan Travis got the offense started by making a couple of smart decisions during tempo drills. He chose to scramble on the first play from scrimmage with no one breaking free downfield, picking up a fresh set of downs and more. Running back Rodney Hill matched Travis with a strong run to the right as offensive lineman Jeremiah Byers was out in front blocking. Travis set up a made field goal from Fitzgerald by hitting Jaheim Bell in tight coverage prior to finding Johnny Wilson between two defenders.
— Travis was on point throughout most of the practice. He had an accurate throw to Deuce Spann on the sideline while rolling out of the pocket. Travis hit Joshua Burrell in stride before lofting a pass to Ja'Khi Douglas toward the sideline after the receiver created space with a shifty route.
— I thought Brock Glenn and Tate Rodemaker had some bright moments as well. Glenn had a nice scramble in team drills and led Destyn Hill over the middle with a pretty pass that allowed the wide receiver to haul it in without breaking stride. He came back with a connection to Jackson West on a deep throw to the outside. Rodemaker threw a dart to a streaking Vandrevius Jacobs that would've gone for a touchdown in a game scenario and also hit Kyle Morlock in the sideline while on the move.
— Wide receiver Kentron Poitier was all over the place, consistently making an impact on Tuesday. Poitier reeled in a pass that was a tad low during team drills. He ended up catching another pass during the period while bringing in multiple receptions during 7-on-7. It's a promising sign to see as Poitier tries to regain the form that he displayed in the spring.
— Caziah Holmes was probably the most explosive out of the running back group on Tuesday. He had a couple of strong runs on the day and picked up some praise from Norvell after practice.
— Jeremiah Byers drove Darrell Jackson off the ball during 3-on-2's against the defensive line. After receiving a shove from Jackson after the play, Byers shrugged his shoulders in an 'I'm not mad, I'm disappointed' type of fashion.
— Bless Harris pancaked a veteran defensive lineman on the team and also had a nice rep against Jared Verse in 1-on-1's.
DEFENSE:
— The highlight of the day from the defensive side of the ball was a pair of interceptions by linebacker DJ Lundy and linebacker Blake Nichelson. While moving to the left, Lundy had to shift back to the right while falling towards the ground to make a play on a poorly thrown ball. Mike Norvell ended up jumping on his back in celebration. Nichelson leaped into the air to come down with an interception on an underthrown deep ball. He also picked up some praise from the coaches.
— Not too long after Lundy's pick, cornerback Jarrian Jones matched him after cutting in front of a wide receiver who was running a short route over the middle. Jones is in a rhythm after his play on Saturday.
— Jared Verse was flying around at his usual pace on Tuesday ahead of what might be his final home game at Florida State. He had one of those reps where he flew off the edge so quickly that he arrived to sack Jordan Travis as the quarterback received the ball. The coaches let the play continue for another two to three seconds before Travis threw the ball in the dirt with nothing open downfield.
— Shyheim Brown deflected a pass that was thrown over the middle in 1-on-1's.
— A wide receiver caught a pass with Conrad Hussey in coverage in 1-on-1's. However, Hussey delivered enough of a shot to force the ball out as the two players went to the ground.
— Azareye'h Thomas nearly picked off a pass that was thrown toward the sideline. He made a good read and reacted on the play but couldn't quite haul in the ball.
— Dante Anderson and Nichelson combined to crush a running back at the line of scrimmage early in practice.
Stick with NoleGameday for more coverage of Florida State football throughout the 2023 season.
