Wednesday Practice Report: Getting Ready for Western Michigan

The Florida State football team practiced for 20 periods on the FSU Football Practice Fields in preparation for Saturday's non-league game against Western Michigan. The Seminoles will also practice on Thursday and complete their game-week preparations with segment meetings on Friday.

NOTES:* The Florida State football team practiced for 20 periods in shells (helmets, shoulder pads and shorts) on the FSU Football Practice Fields

* Because of inclement weather approaching the Tallahassee, the practice schedule was changed to practice on the field first and then segment meetings.

QUOTES

Head Coach Bobby Bowden

"Well, good thing about today is we did get it in. We knew the rain was going to come this afternoon so we started an hour earlier, got in our field work. Now they'll go inside and work on our kicking game the best we can. And then they'll have meetings; I think that's what we missed before practice. Anyway, it's a good thing we got it in."

(How do you feel about how the university has handled the situation with Jeff?)
"I feel good with the university, they've done well. I don't want to get into a lot of that stuff. Everything's fine."

(on injuries?)
"Well the one I'm really concerned about is Brandon Warren. He did a little bit more today than he did yesterday, but it's a very sensitive thing. Graham practiced. Piurowski practiced. Pata's not back yet, I think they had the funeral today."

"We'll start Drew, then see how it develops."

(on whether or not Drew has a longer leash than Xavier)
"No, they got the same leash."

(does what happened yesterday have an affect on your outlook as far as coaching goes?)
"It doesn't affect me whatsoever."

(Looking into the future, what's the plan as far as that position [offensive coordinator] goes?)
"The game plan is to get the best guy I can to take his place. I got guys in mind, but I'm waiting until the end of the season."

Tight End Brandon Warren

(on his injury problems this year)
"This is like the worst year of injuries in my life. I guess this is college football. You have to deal with it."

(on keeping their focus as a team)
"Our main focus is to just finish out the season as strong as we can. Coach (Jeff) Bowden hasn't said anything about after these two games and a bowl. He is still pounding on us to play the games. Let's go win. Let's go out on a high note. That's our main focus this week preparing for Western Michigan.

Center John Frady

(on what the offense will do following the Wake Forest game)
"We have to treat it like any other game win or Loss. Just look and see what you did right and what you did wrong. Try to take the things you did right and do those more. Take the things you did wrong and get rid of them. You can't sit there and bash our heads against the wall because of what happened. You just have to move on. It's like a pitcher in baseball. You have to have a short memory."

(on the Western Michigan defense and linebacker Ameer Ismail)
"Some teams will blitz, it seems to me, just to blitz. When Western Michigan blitzes they are coming for the quarterback. They are not trying to rush the throw to get an interception. They are coming to sack the quarterback and I think that is what (Ismail) has done a real good job of. He (Ismail) is taking advantage of the situations where he is just by the nature of their blitzes he is able to beat his man and get to the quarterback.

(Western Michigan) is very solid about staying in their gaps. They are kind of like Wake Forest. They are real disciplined, gap control. They just try to execute you. It will be a good challenge. They flow to the football real hard. We'll just have to try and get on our man, run them and make some creases for our backs."