Shell Game: Spring Practice Report- Day 3

FSU Sports Information Excerpts:

While the Seminole football team will have to wait about 16 more hours to put on full pads, the squad did get its first chance to hit on Friday.

The Seminoles went 26 periods in shells on a warm Friday afternoon. The squad will put on full pads Saturday and scrimmage for the first time this spring.

PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS

After a lot of work in position groups, the two sides of the ball started to work together. For the first time this spring the 3-on-3 drill made an appearance. Both Antone Smith and Brandon Paul had a great drill. Paul showed a lot of toughness breaking a tackle at the first level and popping up after a big hit by Patrick Robinson. Paul also showed off his moves on an electrifying run through the gauntlet. Pat Davis added a nice run as well. Budd Thacker had two tackles at the first level and Everette Brown and Jamar Jackson both made a tackle right off the bat. Vince Williams, Dekoda Watson, Marcus Ball, Recardo Wright and Derek Nicholson all brought down the back at the second level while Aaron Gresham had two tackles. Kendall Smith had the most impressive stop as he dragged down a back with just one hand who had run past him.

Myron Rolle and Patrick Robinson had tackles at the third level and Roosevelt Lawson had two. The biggest play was turned in by Emmanuel Dunbar who caused the only turnover when he forced a fumble. Smith had a great few periods during inside drills. The rising senior broke numerous big runs and many in spectacular fashion. The back who goes by the nickname of `Deuce' sliced through the line for a huge run on the inside, made a great cut on another carry to get to the outside and then spun out of a tackle in the backfield to break off another long gainer. Paul also showed his toughness when he broke a tackle deep behind the line and turned it into a long jaunt. For the defense Thacker had a sack and Watson recorded a tackle for loss.

In 1-on-1, the offense got off to a very rough start as none of the QB's and receivers were able to connect. Part of the reason for that was Patrick Robinson who would not allow his receivers to get off the line time after time. Dionte Allen and Darius McClure also were strong as each broke up a pass. After a few minutes, the offense started to put things together. Christian Ponder connected with Greg Carr, Preston Parker and Rod Owens. Drew Weatherford found Owens, Parker, Bert Reed and Taiwan Easterling who had a beautiful stop-and-go move and had to come back to the ball but still pulled in a juggling catch.

In ½ skel Weatherford hit Reed and Carr. Ponder connected with Reed and Richard Goodman and D'Vontrey Richardson hit Easterling and Carr on a deep ball. Richardson had one of the nicest throws of the day as he floated a short pass over the defense and right into the hands of Rod Owens who hauled in the dump pass and turned it into a big gainer.

During 7-on-7 Weatherford hit Caz Piurowski, wearing a new No. 81 jersey, and the QB connected with Parker three times. One was a short pass that the electrifying playmaker turned into a big gainer. Both of FSU's other QB's got some help from great receiver play as well. Richardson completed passes to Owens, Parker and Goodman, but it was Easterling's catch on a high pass that the freshman plucked out of the air that dropped jaws. Ponder hit Paul out of the backfield, got a nice long run after the catch from Owens and hit Goodman deep on a leaping grab between two defensive backs. Darius McClure recorded the only INT of the day and Jamie Robinson had a pass break up.

The defensive line had a nice day in pass rush during the second period of the drill as defensive linemen were pushing their offensive counterparts back into the QB dummy on a pretty regular basis. Paul Griffin, Justin Mincey and Thacker all had power rushes. Emmanuel Dunbar had a nice drill getting to the QB three times and Everette Brown used his speed rush to get around his blocker on two occasions.

The practice ended with 11-on-11 which was highlighted by nothing but big plays. The drill started with Nicholson forcing a fumble that Rolle scooped up and took to the house. Weatherford then hit Parker who sped right through the defense for a huge play. Smith continued his great day with three big runs including one for a TD. Parker burned the defense once again on a great run after the catch after a Ponder pass. Richardson made it happen with his feet on a designed run he took in for six points. Reed also had a long run. The D had a couple big plays left in them as Justin Mincey recorded a sack as did Watson.