Spring Practice: Day Six

For the second straight practice the Florida State football team put on full pads and scrimmaged in Doak Campbell Stadium. The last nine periods of the 26 period practice were spent in a full scrimmage. The majority of the practice was spent in position groups and drills.

HIGHLIGHTS & NOTES:
• The team began the practice working on special teams, specifically punt block before breaking into position groups.
• After spending the first 10 periods on the practice fields, the team moved over to Doak Campbell where they opened up in 3-on-3 drills. The Seminoles also went through 1-on-1 drills, run skel, pass skel, 11-on-11 and red zone.
• In 11-v-11 Tony Carter had a pass break up and Xavier Lee hit Preston Parker underneath on what turned into a big gainer.
• In pass skel Carter recorded an interception, Drew Weatherford connected with Joslin Shaw, Christian Ponder hooked up with Parker and Lee hit De'Cody Fagg who broke a tackle and took the pass to the endzone.
• In red zone drills Weatherford and Richard Goodman connected for a TD.


SCRIMMAGE
• The FSU quarterbacks combined to go 20-for-24 for 259 yards and three TD's. Weatherford was 10-12 for 126 yards and 2 TD's while Lee went 10-12 for 133 yards with a TD and an interception.
• Weatherford hit Goodman for a 65-yard TD and then later connected with Damon McDaniel on a six-yard score. Lee's TD pass went to Parker for 29 yards.
• Rod Owens dropped jaws on a 21 yard completion with a great move in the open field.
• Lee almost had his second TD when he hit Parker for a 44 yard completion to the one yard line avoiding heavy pressure on the play.
• Defensively Neefy Moffett, Budd Thacker and Justin Mincey all recorded sacks.
• Tony Carter picked off Lee and Myron Rolle had a pass break up.
• Jeremy Franklin recovered a fumble and Anthony Kelly had a tackle behind the line of scrimmage.

QUOTES

Head Coach Bobby Bowden

"We had a practice day very much like we did Saturday. We went out on the practice fields for 10 periods, then came in here and got some drills for about six periods and then we scrimmaged the last part of practice. We could really use it over and over and over and over. But you can't do it because guys get hurt. We are making some improvement. We are moving some people around especially on the offensive line where they are playing some different positions which means it's a possibility of missing an assignment. The big thing we want to come out of in the spring is be sure we have our best people lined up on the first team an our second best lined up on the second team playing the correct positions. That's the things we are trying to find out and we have to suffer a little bit while we are doing it."

(on the quarterbacks)
"Neither one of them stood out. They are equal in what they are doing right now. I'm not going to gauge quarterbacks every time we practice. I wish I could. Right now there is a lot of confusion going on."

(on spring injuries)
"Any of them I hate to see that. I just hate to see it. It's part of football but if it happens to Tony Carter or any of the others, I shudder."

(on pulling back the aggressiveness)
"We ain't pulling back. We're not pulling back. We have been soft and we are trying to get out of that softness."

(on young wide receivers making play)
"Yea, they are making some good plays. They get too many penalties downfield but it's not because they are not trying. We have had a couple of receivers - (Preston) Parker has really had some good plays this spring plus some others but his name is kind of new."

(on goal line success of the defense -- are you concerned)
"No, because I am the head football coach. If the defense eats them up, offense bad. If the offense eats them up, they're bad. But they are both my team. Somebody is going to win and somebody is going to lose."

(on cutting down on missed assignments)
"You are never where you'd like to be but you are probably as far along as its feasible right now because of the newness of it. A guy begins to grasp it and all of a sudden you change him over to this position now you have to start over. We are going through a lot of that right now. But we have to get that solved this spring - the fall is too late."

(on scrimmaging often)
"You'd like to - you'd like to just scrimmage all the time if you could. That's where they learn and that's where you find out what are they getting taught. But you can only do so many. I don't think we are doing any more than we have. This is the sixth practice and we have had two half day scrimmages."

Drew Weatherford, Quarterback

"I didn't feel that sharp today. There were a couple of decisions that I made that I wish I could have taken back and I lost my footing twice which lost us some yardage. Those were both on first downs and those are biog downs for us. I did some good things but there is a lot of room for improvement.

(on working in a new system)
"It's no excuse. Everybody at this point has a good understanding of what they are doing. I think we are just not thinking enough. We are not being as disciplined as we probably should be. But that is something they are drilling in our heads day in and day out and we seem to be getting better every day. It's nothing really different than what I am used to."

(on the young wide receivers)
"They are getting more and more comfortable every day. The coaches are doing a good job of putting them in situations to succeed what they are good at. We keep on giving Preston (Parker) little swing passes out of the backfield. He is a very strong and aggressive runner - the same thing with Damian (McDaniel). He's dong a good job in putting them in situations they can be successful and they are taking advantage of it."

Preston Parker, Wide Receiver

(on his increased role in the offense)
"I am just working hard. Any chance I get I just try to work hard. Every play I want to work. I thought this spring was going to be easier but it's hard. This is just like the season. I am just trying to work hard to get on the field. I want to make plays to help us win, get back to our old ways, get back to the championship like the old Florida State.

(on the team playing tougher this season)
"We just have to get hyped. Once you get up in the polls it will come back. When you are down you can lose some toughness. We lacked that a little bit. This year we are trying to get that back. Bring the toughness back to Florida State.

Jamie Robinson, Cornerback

(on being back out on the practice field after some injuries in 2006)
"It feels good to be back out here again. I had to fight through some injuries you know the ankle and then the hip. It feels good to line-up again. I am not all the way back to where I want to be."

(on playing opposite Tony Carter)
"That's something any cornerback would be excited about. You know getting a lot of balls thrown to his side. I like to have a lot of opportunities. Eventually I hope they won't have anywhere to throw the ball by midway through the season."