Florida State football scrimmage report 4/8

With Florida State's spring game rapidly approaching, the Noles took Bobby Bowden Field Monday afternoon for one last spring scrimmage. The winds were swirling a little bit in Doak this afternoon as the Noles took the field. I could sense a little bit of anticipation for Saturday's sparing game, both from the coaches and the players. Jimbo Fisher was actually running through different scenarios with the official before today's scrimmage. While the media wasn't allowed to stay for long, he are a few things I noticed.

*Keelin Smith and Devonta Freeman were not dressed out for today's scrimmage.

*The group of guys missing spring were in attendance. Tyler Hunter, Nick Waisome, Ronald Darby, and Demonte McAllister were all hanging out.

*Lonnie Pryor and Amp McCloud were also there today.

*Austin Barron was back in pads and participating today.

Special Teams

*Roberto was drilling field goals during warm-ups, beside one that went off the left upright.

*Cason Beatty was doing a nice job with the swirling winds.

*Rashad Greene, Kenny Shaw, and Mario Pender were all warming up as punt returners.

Offensive Line

*No changes on the offensive line for today's scrimmage. Bobby Hart still at right tackle and Bryan Stork still under center.

*Austin Barron was back in action and taking reps as 2nd team center and left guard.

Offense

*There were working on power run sets during warm-ups today. Multiple TE's, FB, etc. I'd be interested to see these sets with Wilder up against some of that 6-1 the defense was running last week..

Defense

*The defense seemed to be running through a lot of nickel and dime packages before today's scrimmage, even though the offense was walking through power run sets.

*With Keelin Smith out, Gerald Demps has shifted up to CB in the dime sets with Lamarcus Brutus back as one of the safeties.

I'm curious to see if we have the opportunity to get some of the scrimmage stats like last week, but we probably won't know until after Wednesday's practice. With the spring game less than a week away, today's scrimmage is crucial for this coaching staff to clean up some of the mistakes.

Jimbo on the scrimmage:

-Timmy Jernigan will miss the remainder of spring with a high ankle sprain.

"You can see the competitiveness and the consistency," FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher said after Monday's scrimmage. "Just the competition. We have skill, but you've got to be tough to play and I was very proud with what we did today."

On this point in the spring if things were starting to come together:

"Yeah. I guess more looking at individuals right now than I am scheme. I’m trying to find out some guys and challenge some guys from that standpoint. There’s not tons of scheme going on, just execution type things."

"We’ll have to look at the film, but I think there were some guys that did some nice things competition wise. I’m anxious to watch it."

On the competition and if it comes from within:

"If they don’t want to create it, then I’ll create it a bunch of ways. If you’re the right guy it comes from within. It comes from you. I saw guys doing that today. I think you’re starting to see those young guys grow up."

On the quarterbacks:

"I thought Clint (Trickett) had a really good day. He made a great read on a play, but missed a throw when he had a chance. I thought Jake (Coker) had some nice plays – he made a mistake and dropped the ball, tried to make a big play, but he bounced back and made some nice throws. Sean (Maguire) had some nice throws and Jameis (Winston) had a nice drive. Took us all the way down to the one and got greedy with the ball. Clint I thought was – I don’t want to say the most consistent, I’ll have to look at the film but he was very consistent. He was able to make plays around him. I was pleased. Him and Jameis and Jake and Sean, I was pleased. I was not disappointed. They made some mistakes. With these young guys – sometimes when you’re young and all of a sudden, ‘I’m trying to win the job’ and you make one and then you go into a shell. These guys, they just come right back out."

"They’re all improving, we’ll have to see the film."

"You get the right ones – two of them or one of them that step up and become the guy, you’ve got to get there, but I think we are getting there. Now, you say that if we feel comfortable putting guys in the game, if one guy gets hurt the other guy can go in and do the same thing. We’re getting much more comfortable that way."