Florida State Football Insider: Mock game set; DT Fabien Lovett ‘ramping up’ for season
It’s not a scrimmage. And it’s not a normal day of practice either. But Florida State head football coach Mike Norvell described what’s coming Friday as, “one of the most important days of fall camp” for his Seminoles.
Instead of conducting a routine practice, Florida State will take part in a “mock game” to prepare for next week’s season opener against LSU.
There won’t be any hitting. Score won’t be kept. But everything else — from getting dressed in the locker room to lining up for a coin toss to calling timeouts — will give the Seminoles’ players a feel for what game day will be like on Sept. 3 in Orlando.
“You get this close, you’ve implemented a lot of schemes, you’ve tried to introduce concepts, you’ve tried to do a lot of different things to help guys understand situations,” Norvell said. “Well, (on Friday), you’ve got to apply it. We try to do that a week before … but I always like that to have to go back and clean up. Because, obviously we’ll have another runthrough before we actually play the game.
“Just trying to force the communication, force the understanding, make sure guys know how important it is to be locked in … to whatever can show up.”
Florida State’s Lovett ‘ramping up’ for season
Two of the best reps a Florida State defensive lineman had all day during Thursday’s practice were from veteran defensive tackle Fabien Lovett.
The senior showed off his quickness and power by taking on double-teams and still getting into the backfield.
Norvell was asked about Lovett and his impact on the team — and the defensive line — after Thursday’s practice.
“He’s a physical presence,” Norvell said. “He’s a great leader for us. And he’s really been ramping up here this last week as we’re getting closer to kickoff. Today was the most that he’s done. He looks really, really good moving around. So, definitely excited about that.
“I’m definitely excited about the progress I’ve seen from him, and just what he means to our defensive front and this football team.”
CB Azareye’h Thomas makes big impression
He has been among the most consistent Florida State defensive backs all preseason. And during Thursday’s battle with junior wide receiver Keon Coleman, sophomore cornerback Azareye’h Thomas had himself a few highlight plays — including intercepting a jump ball in the end zone during 1-on-1 drills that was intended for the Michigan State transfer.
Thomas, a former four-star recruit, worked his way into Florida State’s cornerback rotation last year as a true freshman. Now, he appears ready to become an even bigger factor for the Seminoles.
First-year secondary coach Patrick Surtain was asked about Thomas’ development following Thursday’s practice.
“Yeah, man, Azareye’h has been really, really good,” Surtain said. “I know he had a productive true freshman year. He battled injuries early on in the spring, but he’s 100 percent now. He’s confident. He’s making plays. He’s a smart kid. A real spiritual kid. And he loves football.
“So, we’re looking for him to have a big-time year for us this year.”
TE Douglas becoming big target for Florida State
He’s not quite the forgotten guy at the position. Tight end Markeston Douglas made enough plays last year, including a second-half touchdown catch in the bowl win over Oklahoma, that fans and media understand what kind of player he can be.
Even with the additions of transfer portal tight ends Jaheim Bell and Kyle Morlock, Douglas is still going to be a big part of the Florida State offense this fall.
That has been proven throughout preseason camp as Douglas is consistently making plays in the middle of the field, catching balls in tight coverage, creating space in the run game as well.
Douglas has bulked up to 285 pounds on his 6-foot, 4-inch frame. And the redshirt junior still moves well for that size, which is why he has consistently been making plays for the Florida State offense all month.
“From 270 to 285, I feel like I still operate the same,” Douglas said. “I know I beefed up a little … but I feel like I got a lot stronger. I think my speed is always going to be there. It doesn’t matter.”
Douglas said he’s excited to see this season how Norvell and offensive coordinator Alex Atkins use all of the tight ends’ varied skills.
“I feel like you’ll never know what to expect when we line up,” he said.
Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.
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