Spring Practice: Day Eight

The Seminole football team held a 15-period practice Friday afternoon the day before the first full scrimmage of the season. Friday's practice was unlike any other so far for FSU this spring. It was the shortest practice to date and held later in the day. Also, the backdrop included Terry Bowden doing his radio show live from the practice fields, 100's of high school coaches observing and the smell of steaks grilling in front of a huge circus tent. Florida State will return to Doak Campbell Stadium at 12:30 p.m. Saturday for the scrimmage.

• Practice started out on a familiar note with the offense and defense working versus scout teams and in position groups.
• The team moved to 3-on-3 drills and then split up for run and 1-on-1. In run drills Antone Smith once again provided a highlight as he spun off a would-be tackler and broke into the open before tripping. Letroy Guion and Neefy Moffett combined on a stop right at the line on a Marcus Sims carry. In 1-v-1 De'Cody Fagg turned in a highlight reel play as he tipped a ball up and hauled in the pass with a defensive back all over him. Drew Weatherford and Fagg later hooked up on a deep ball.
• In pass skel both Patrick Robinson and Michael Ray Garvin broke up plays.
• The practice wrapped up with two periods of 11-on-11. Guion once again had a tackle for loss as the defense was carrying the day before the play of the practice. Weatherford hit Richard Goodman on a short pass along the boundary. Goodman tip toed to stay in and then took it to the endzone on a long run down the sideline.

QUOTES

Head Coach Bobby Bowden
"We had a coaching clinic; it started yesterday. All the coaches - a lot of them met with our coaches last night - all of our assistant coaches kind of scatter around and get with whichever one they wanted to talk football. We had lectures all day today and of course they came out and watched practice today. It's kind of a demonstration day really. Tomorrow we will have a full scale scrimmage at 12:30. Hopefully, they will stay healthy. We are getting something done."

(how is the spring progressing?)
"We are progressing. The thing is that it's very obvious we have been doing so much scrimmaging the offense hasn't been able to work on their execution. That really hurt us the other day - somebody not knowing where to lineup; not blocking the right guy; not taking the right step. So, the offense came out early today just trying to work on running the plays. We are still going through a learning process."

(on offensive improvement in the scrimmage)
"From an offensive standpoint, you would, that's what you would be looking for. Seeing if the guys are picking it up - that's the main thing. Are you stepping correctly; are you coming off the ball correctly; do you know your plays, have you got your assignments; have you learned the terminology. Those are the things they are going through right now. Of course, you like to see improvement and you should see some improvement each scrimmage in that regard. Of course, defensively, very much the same thing. It takes longer to install an offense than it does to install a defense."

(how long has it been since you have overhauled the offense in the spring?)
"We changed our terminology two years ago. We went with not flip-flopping the line and that changed the numbering system all the way. Usually when you flip-flop the line and you are going to run a 46 and you get in the right formation it goes over there. If you run a 46 from this formation it goes over there. Now it's not that way. All even number plays go that way and all odd number plays go that way. We did that two years ago - but very much the same plays. The thing is - very much the same plays it's just with different terminology. They know more how to do it than they do what to do. They are getting it and they'll get more of it."

Quarterback Drew Weatherford
"It's going to take probably all spring. The mechanics that I have been doing have been the mechanics I have done ever since I started playing football. I learned a certain way but I consciously try to get better and better at my footwork and how I hold the ball and everything that he (coach Jimbo Fisher) tries to teach me. It's going to be a learning process for sure but every day I continue to get better and he kind of gets on me more and more every day. The longer it takes the more upset he gets."

(on the competition with Xavier Lee)
"It's a competition - there are 100 things were are competing at -- run checks, throwing the ball, attitude, making decisions - all sorts of things. It doesn't necessarily just come down to mechanics but that's something he wants us to be able to learn and he wants us to buy into the whole system. That's what we are both trying to do."

Quarterback Xavier Lee
"I think the adjustments have been going pretty good do far. It's bee a little difficult at times but I think it's going to help us out in the long run. The terminology is a lot different than what we have experienced before. Coach Trickett is a very picky guy - he's knows exactly what he wants. If you don't do it correctly he will try to correct you on it and try to help you through it. He's very picky but at the same time it helps us get more power behind our balls and be a lot more accurate."