Tuesday Practice Report: Preparing For Maryland

*Florida State practiced 21 periods Tuesday in shells as the team continued its preparations for Saturday's 7 p.m. game at Maryland, the Seminoles' last regular-season road game of the season.

*After working on special teams, the team broke up into position groups and got in some work versus the scout teams.

*Linebacker Jae Thaxton, who has been out of action since suffering a concussion vs. Clemson in the third game of the season, practiced noncontact this afternoon and recorded an interception during pass skel.

QUOTES

Head Coach Bobby Bowden:

"(Alex) Boston worked a little bit today. (Jae) Thaxton worked some today but I don't know that he has been cleared yet. (Brandon) Warren did work and I've been surprised he's been able to do what he's been able to do."

(on Thaxton getting back at linebacker)

"That's where we really have been missing and it would be welcomed back. I hope he can make it. Again, he practiced today but we didn't do any contact with him. We've always had our three starters and then you'd like to go with four on certain situations. If he could come in and be that fourth guy then Buster could play here, it does give you some flexibility which we need."

(on offense finding its identity)

"I don't know what people mean when they say the offense doesn't have an identity. We run the ball and we throw the doggone ball. We're making more yardage passing than running, is that an identity? A lot of times people wonder why you're throwing so much cause you're playing to your strength and that's what the other team is giving you. We'll find out more and more about that as time progresses."

(on Maryland defense)

"They remind us of North Carolina State, they're defense is a lot like them."

(on Dekoda Watson's play in BC game)

"He did well as a freshman. Freshmen, they've got talent, but they are also inexperienced and mistake-prone. Our young kids just need experience, experience and experience. At least they'll have it next year. Instead of breaking them in next year, we've had to break them in this year."

Sophomore Linebacker Jae Thaxton

(on linebackers)

"We've just got to maintain. This is Florida State. If somebody goes down, somebody's got to reload. So we don't really talk about what we are going to do but how we're going to get it done."

True Freshman Dekoda Watson

(on first career start and what position he will ultimately play)

"It was a dream come true, just a dream come true being out there. As far as my position, I'm not really sure where I will end up playing for good. I'm just doing what's best for the team."

(on his performance in first career start)

"I think I played well but I believe I can get better and that's what I want to do, just get better with each game, every week. In practices too because whatever you do in practice is pretty much how you're going to perform in a game."

Junior offensive lineman David Overmyer

(on Maryland's defense)

"Maryland's defense sends a lot of blitzes at you, a lot of twisting and things that mess you up with their linebackers especially in the pass protection. We're going to have to do a really good job and really concentrate this week and focus in on our assignments so we can give Drew (Weatherford) the maximum time he needs to complete his passes. That's going to be our main focus this week."