It was a storm. not calculated. She didn’t even have real scoring.
However, I must admit, I was hoping and expecting more Florida State crime on Saturday afternoon. Especially a transient crime.
But nothing noticeable happened. Is this cause for concern? I mean, I guess it depends on how much inventory you put into your Spring Games. I don’t put much in it, but I also don’t think it makes any sense.
Especially when you have one part of your attack – passing – it has basically held you back in recent years and made it very difficult to win a lot of football matches.
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So, I came to Saturday hoping to see these transfer recipients and Jordan Travis, as well as backup Tate Roadmaker, do some plays through the air. Be able to hit the big plays without having to rely on your running game or your quarterback’s athletic performance.
Well, that didn’t happen.
Not making excuses, but it’s possible that part of that has to do with the wind. He was whipping around Doak Campbell Stadium so hard.
And part of that has to do with sack rules in a game like this, where the umpires blast a dead play if the defender is anywhere near the center-back – even if he’s pinky on the shoulder pad while he’s running past and has no chance of making a tackle. The play is still dead.
“It was frustrating at times for Jordan because of the quick whistle,” said NFL coach Mike Norville.
Travis lost the first finish in a game like this, and Rodemaker lost a 5-yard TD pass to Keyshawn Helton in a similar play.
Therefore, both were a factor in the lack of great plays.
But so were some fouls and drops.
Rodemaker, who I was really hoping to show you all what he showed us all this spring, instead threw in an interception on the first pass – Sam McCall intercepted him in the end zone during goal-line drills.
Travis and Duffy, as if they weren’t feeling bad, threw the shots during the rehearsal. This wasn’t a great way to start the attack festivities, with three interceptions by three different players in situational drills. But hey, at least they were throwing them at their teammates!
“The match pass and I miss,” Norville said. “Overall, it’s been a great spring in our development there…Tonight wasn’t a better night than what we did this spring, but there are a lot of factors that go into that.”
Rodemaker probably had the best pass of the day during the latter part of the spring game (the one with famous coaches), rolling to his right and finding Kentron Poitier in a perfect shot from 11 yards into the end zone.
Rodemaker finished 5 of 11 for 64 yards.
As for Travis? It was okay. Nothing amazing. Completed 7 of 13 passes for 71 yards. The offense as a whole managed to convert only 4 of the 18 attempts in third place. So, you know, it’s not great. Not what you were hoping to see.
But it was a spring game. You don’t play LSU tomorrow. And you had a lot of mixing and matching up front and out on a massive scale.
As for the men who distinguished?
Obviously, defensive end jared mare. He was credited with two bags and another quarter in a hurry. It also prevented a 50-yard field goal attempt that would have been returned for a 55-yard touchdown by Greedy Vance in a real game.
In the offense, the carriage that opened the most eyes was running backwards Trey Benson. The former Oregon duck had 77 yards on seven gigs. He showed his strength and speed in those seven maneuvers, and he also had a really great jolt for a defender on the field to avoid negative play and turn it into a positive one.
It looked like the real deal.
Then finally, another transfer from Oregon, Micah Bateman.
It’s not that he had a big game. Because, frankly, no one did.
But there was a presentation in the second quarter that showed a little bit of what we’ve seen in the last month. He scanned around the left end of the 4-yard line, cut inward and then basically bullied his way–through several tackles–to the end zone to drop.
That competitiveness, that physical, that mentality, is what’s so lacking in that spacious reception room. It was just one play. It was running. not catch. But man, it was an illustration of an undeniable kid, who more than anything wants to go play.
He will probably make a lot of them this year. He definitely thinks he will.
Overall, I thought the defense won the day. I think this defense has a chance to improve it a lot. truly. It may eventually be a good unit.
As for the violation? After a full spring and a game of garnet and gold? I am still not sure.
Contact senior writer Corey Clark at [email protected] and follow Corey_Clark on Twitter.
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Talk about this story with other Florida football fans at the Tribal Council