Editor's Note: Be sure to check back with Warchant.com around 8:30 p.m. ET tonight for complete post-scrimmage coverage, including an interview with head coach Mike Norvell.
Starting positions won't be decided tonight inside Doak Campbell Stadium.
A full four weeks remain before the Florida State football team is scheduled to open the 2020 season at home against Georgia Tech.
But after using the first week of preseason practice to teach and make early evaluations of their players, there's no denying that FSU's coaches will be placing a very emphasis on what they see tonight in the Seminoles' first preseason scrimmage.
"A lot of guys look really good with just helmets on," defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson said. "Once you start including physicality and the full contact of everything, things start changing. So I'm anxious to see how the guys respond to putting it all together and putting them in game-type situations.
"We're going to be in Doak Campbell ... full-padded practice, under the lights. You learn a lot about your players and get a lot of good information."
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Because this will be the Seminoles' first scrimmage, every play and scenario will be scripted.
Head coach Mike Norvell said here will be some typical "base" series on offense and defense, but there also will be a slew of different situations to handle.
That includes everything from coming out from the goal line to playing on a short field; adjusting to a "sudden change" after a turnover; operating a two-minute drill and running through various special-teams scenarios; and even an overtime simulation.
The Seminoles' next preseason scrimmage will feature more "game flow," but Norvell said this one will be controlled and detail-oriented, with coaches emphasizing things like how the players should organize themselves on the sideline to receive in-game adjustments from their coaches.
"We just want everybody to gain comfort with what that looks like," Norvell said.
Position battles are taking place throughout the depth chart, but most eyes will likely be focused on how the quarterbacks perform in a game-type situation.
