“Good to get back on the field:" Notes, observations from the first open practice of Boston College week

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“Good to get back on the field:" Notes, observations from the first open practice of Boston College week

With Mike Norvell's team facing an early 0-1 hole to start the season and many immediate issues needing fixing, the head coach kept true to his message of maintaining consistency in https://www.floridastatestore.com the face of adversity in the Florida State's first open practice of the week.The head man did not deviate from his script, bringing his usual energy, rocking his normal outfit and running through the team's normal practice routine. Instead of allowing the outside noise to affect his plan, Florida State went about its business, focusing only on the players and coaches in the building."There's going to be outside noise in success; there's going to be outside noise in failure," he said afterward. "What you are willing to let into your mind, you've got to own. The mind will lie to you."Looking to re-establish itself after a flat showing in the opener, quarterback DJ Uiagalelei's unit owned the beginning part of the day before the defense responded later, especially in the run game.Florida State dove into Boston College fully on Thursday, heavily emphasizing scout team work and fundamentals. Norvell mentioned the "menu" his team could see with the Eagles' new coaching staff multiple times yesterday and today. "They do a lot. You'll see a variation of coverages. One-high, two-high, man. This is one of the top-playing man defenses a year ago, but those guys are built for it. But, he'll run a variety of coverages.Three themes stood out from Florida State's first open practice.No. 1: Jaylin LucasThe shifty speed-back only played seven snaps on Saturday, a surprise given the amount of work he received during fall camp and the success created. Like most of the offense, Ja'Khi Douglas' brother responded at practice, impacting both the run and pass game. He popped an inside run during the first action of 11-on-11, slipping through the cracks before turning on the jets in the open field. During one-on-ones, Lucas ran his patented wheel route and made his defender look silly, trying to keep up with him. The 5'6'' RB did get rocked on a screen pass later in the day as the defense made their stand later in the day, but Lucas proved his point. Norvell admitted he's "got to do a better job" about his to utilizing the Indiana transfer more often, especially as the offense looks to amp up its energy.Hopefully, the head coach can utilize one of Uiagalelei's most trusted safety blankets.No. 2: Run GameConsidering FSU got blown off the ball on both sides, it made sense to focus on the success of the ground game for both sides. The offense had the early advantage, with multiple runs popping, including the aforementioned Lucas and freshman Kam Davis, who kept his feet moving before finding green grass. Part of the success came from the offensive line creating gaps and running lanes that rarely came in the second half against Georgia Tech. Norvell kept the starting group together for most of the practice, with the increased continuity and a couple of days off their legs helping the run game regain a rhythm. However, some of that said success stemmed from the defense blowing more communication and not getting in the proper alignments. Norvell complimented the linebackers for playing faster on Thursday, but it still seemed the unit did not have it fully together. Once they did settle down, the unit that came through all of fall camp burst on the scene again. Patrick Payton made multiple tackles for loss, and the back seven did a better job running to the ball and making plays in space. The unit also faced the challenge of facing Trevor Jackson as a scout team quarterback, which should prepare the group for BC quarterback Thomas Castellanos. Hopefully, Fuller's group can build on their improvement at the end of the morning.No. 3: Jalen BrownThe LSU transfer turned heads by receiving starting time over Darion Williamson and Kentron Poitier, as Norvell tapped him as a key piece to replacing Hykeem Williams. Still, he proved his worth on Saturday, finishing with two catches and earning 41 snaps, third among wide receivers. On Thursday, his speed flashed as it has for all of camp. He got on top of multiple cornerbacks during one-on-ones before darting inside and making two receptions on slants. At the end of the day, he made a nice catch on a comeback route in a seven-on-seven period but quickly turned upfield and blew past his corner for extra YAC, a sight for sore eyes given the lack of explosives that occurred against Georgia Tech. Brown feels like the perfect option to openspread the https://www.floridastatestore.com field for the FSU offense. His speed makes him a threat whenever he touches the field, and it pairs perfectly with Uiagalelei's arm strength. Norvell needs to find the courage to dial it up.The Seminoles retake the practice field tomorrow.

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