Norvell, Tokarz praise progress of FSU offense following Day Two
While the Florida State defense may have won the first day of fall camp, the Seminoles' offense more than held its own on Day Two.
When FSU head coach Mike Norvell and quarterbacks coach Tony Tokarz spoke with the media after Thursday's practice, they had plenty of praise for redshirt junior quarterback Jordan Travis and the rest of the offense.
“I thought the offense was better in a lot of the areas that I wanted to see," Norvell said. "You’re seeing guys, the continuity of groups and understanding of how some concepts are coming together. ... I thought Jordan was great today. Really had a good day in just how he operated. Located the ball."
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Tokarz, who is entering his first season as the Seminoles' quarterbacks coach after serving in a support role the past two seasons, echoed Norvell's sentiments.
“Jordan has been, the growth he has already shown in two practices, it’s been encouraging. This past offseason, just the steps that he’s taken,” Tokarz said. “With his mind, with his body, taking ownership not just only on offense but with the team as a whole. We’ve been able to take some pretty big steps.”
While Wednesday's practice was heavy on installation, Thursday's was more focused on details and fundamentals. And Tokarz said he was pleased with how Travis put together such a solid day after the offense struggled at times Wednesday.
“Just like everything else we teach in the program, it’s about consistency. How are you going to respond when its going well and when you have a down day as well,” Tokarz said. “We’ll see how consistent he can be from there. ... He’s always been athletic. He’s always been explosive. He has those God-given abilities, right? Now, he’s working on those too. As a passer, he’s a lot more settled in the pocket, going through progressions.”
When it comes to the passing game, Travis’ performance often goes hand-in-hand, quite literally, with the play of the receivers. On Thursday, there were sideline grabs, contested catches, and even a few one-handed snags from the wideouts.
“Seeing some strides in the receivers making some plays today. That was good to see in different one-on-ones and situations,” Norvell said. “Still a lot to continue to grow from, but I thought, for some of the things we emphasized from practice one, I really saw guys take an ownership to get that fixed. We’re going to continue to push.”
Said Norvell: “That’s what has been pleasing in the first two days. We’ve got a lot in, we’ve got a lot of variations. For the offense, you’re seeing a lot of different looks. For the defense, work in different motions, combinations, all different things to try and stress their minds. And you see the confidence in communication.”
When asked about the receivers' struggles on Wednesday, Tokarz said he thinks it was a combination of factors: primarily the intensity of a first day, coupled with extreme heat.
“You see guys yesterday, first practice out, battling the elements a little bit, guys get a little bit fatigued,” he said. “You also have that nervous energy and everything, too. Your body starts to feel that, too.
"Today you saw some more consistent play from guys, some guys responded. In the run game and the pass game. Guys willing to do the dirty work. It’s always great to see that.”
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