Florida State football held practice Wednesday morning in preparation for its game against North Carolina on Saturday.
While the Seminoles’ (1-7) defense earned praise from head coach Mike Norvell, he was disappointed with his offense which was down a few players.
“Had some guys that were down today offensively, and guys that got opportunity have to make sure we’re capitalizing on those opportunities that you get,” Norvell said.
“Everyone talks about wanting more, but when it’s thrown there at you, you’ve got to show that you’re ready for more. I thought there were some areas we have to be cleaner and better.”
Here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s practice.
The offense was bad.
There were too many drops and incomplete passes as the Seminoles’ offensive players failed to make an impact.
In a week that Norvell said his team has to go and “get the job done,” the offensive performance did not mirror that. The coaching staff spent time coaching up players and attempting to fine-tune details, but it felt like most of the energy was coming from the coaching staff and defensive players.
It wasn’t the greatest day for the quarterbacks, be it from dropped passes or overthrows. Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek both had strong throws in moments, but overall the consistency from the offense as a whole was missing.
Norvell said there were a few players that were limited in practice and he used that to give more opportunities. He said there were some missed opportunities in some positions.
“Just some guys that maybe haven’t been in the rotation and got an opportunity. Whether it was a mistake or a lack of technique, fundamentals in certain situations, we’ve just got to be better,” Norvell said. “There were some good moments, but I want, when guys get their shot at it to be ready for it.”
While it was a day to forget for the offense, the Seminoles’ defense took advantage and strung together a second straight solid practice.
The defensive front was active, batting down multiple passes at the line of scrimmage and getting pressure on the quarterbacks. Darrell Jackson made a few big plays, fighting through blocks to get into the backfield.
Both the linebackers and the secondary were good in pass coverage, with the units reading the ball well and getting pass breakups. Ja’bril Rawls made an acrobatic interception after reading a pass in the middle of the field, it was a strong moment for the redshirt freshmen who had a good practice.
Azareye’h Thomas and KJ Kirkland both had big plays. Thomas had a couple of impressive pass breakups as he continues to dominate in practices.
Kirkland made a nice read on a throw to the back corner of the endzone, getting his hand on the ball before the receiver had a chance to make a play.
Norvell has praised his young defensive backs multiple times this season, with Charles Lester III, Cai Bates and Ricky Knight all impressive this season.
Bates came up with a few nice moments on Wednesday, especially in one-on-one coverage. He stuck with his assignments well, timing his moves well to break up passes and keep receivers away from making a play.
Both Lester and Knight had strong moments.
Lester was sticky in coverage, often sticking with his opponents in pass coverage closely and not being targeted much outside of one-on-one drills. Knight continues to impress despite being on the scout team, often one of the more impactful players on the side of the ball.
Norvell was happy with his defensive backs.
“I’ve really been pleased with what I’ve seen from that group, I think they’ve got great upside,” Norvell said. “Those guys haven’t gotten as many opprutnies in the game, so going through and being on scout for the time being, they are trying to maximize each rep. It’s competitive, they are working and bring great energy. I love what I’m seeing from them.”
Date: Saturday,
Time: 3:30 p.m.
Where: Doak Campbell Stadium/ Tallahassee, Florida 
TV: ACC Network
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney

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