On Thursday, with no fans, media or half of the stands in attendance at Doak Campbell Stadium, Florida State football held its first scrimmage of the spring season.
Without Jordan Travis, Keon Coleman and Trey Benson, the offense relied on veterans and transfers to lead the attack.
In the end, FSU head coach Mike Norvell said it was the defense that had an impressive performance throughout much of the game, highlighting its “speed and physicality.”
Coach Norvell said the offense had a good response to the defense, but missed some chances and “wanted to get back” some throws.
Here are three takeaways from what Norvell said after the FSU football scrimmage.
Luke Kromenhook was the most impressive of FSU's quarterbacks.
Oregon State transfer DJ Uiagalelei and sophomore Brock Glenn are expected to be starters and reserves next season. However, freshman Luke Kromenhoek continues to throw his name into the backup conversation.
Norvell was impressed with the freshman's performance, tasked with leading the offense and running it efficiently.
“I thought Luke was outstanding for our first scrimmage,” Norvell said. “His last few drives, we tried to get the ball in his hands and move the ball up the field. When he got into the line of scrimmage, I thought he did a great job. I thought we executed it.”
Coach Norvell said there are areas for improvement in the quarterback room, but he said Glenn is showing confidence in his play and Uiagalelei has a better understanding of the offense.
“DJ [Uiagalelei] He's been doing really well in his overall understanding of the offense, but now it's just repetition and he needed a day like today,'' Norvell said.
“There were some really good moments, some dirty footwork and some plays where we went back to basics, but that’s what today was all about. [the quarterbacks] The first four days were uneventful. ”
Defense dominates most of the scrimmage
From the first day of spring training, the Seminole defense showed rushing ability.
The secondary put a lot of pressure on the offensive passing game, and Norvell said the line also got caught up in the destructive attack.
Patrick Payton recorded a sack, Grady Kelly had a blocked field goal, and Darrell Jackson and Marvin Jones showed visible “flashes” in the fall.
This could mean good things for the Seminoles' defense, considering Kelly and Jones are transfers and Jackson didn't play last season.
“All those players had good moments,” Norvell said. “He can make an impact not only in the pass game but also in the run game and create penetration.
“There were a few plays where we got caught up. I think the technique and basic elements of not taking your eyes off the front will be the major corrections this time. I think the defense team did a really solid job.”
There were several fumbles during the scrimmage, which Norvell said is part of FSU's focus on being “aggressive on the ball.”
“We've probably emphasized that more than ever,” Nobel said. “We try to incorporate that into every practice to create more chances. We saw it show up and we were able to hit some balls.”
Norvell talked about seeing “talent and ability on the defensive side of the ball” during scrimmages.
There is more pressure on the offense than the defense to improve heading into the next three weeks of spring practice before the April 20 showcase.
Cam Davis “looked like he deserved to be there''
Freshman running back Cam Davis has received a lot of attention since coming to FSU.
The early enrollee is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds, which is huge for a freshman running back. Trey Benson even commented during Pro Day that Davis “doesn't need to lift any more weight.”
But Norvell said Davis blended in with the rest of the team during the scrimmage and also scored a touchdown.
“Cam Davis definitely looked like the right guy to be there,” Norvell said. “He worked with all the groups and made some really explosive plays. That was definitely good to see.”
Davis, who came to FSU as the No. 3 running back in the class of 2024, has great potential. At Dougherty High School in Albany, Georgia, he had 8,762 yards of total offense and 75 touchdowns.
Jack Williams covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at jwilliams@tallahassee.com or his X @jackgwilliams.
