It was far from a banner day for the Florida State football team’s offense on Saturday.

The quarterbacks didn't make much happen through the air, the team as a whole was just 4 of 18 on third downs, and the the receiving corps -- as well as tight ends and running backs -- had some issues with drops.

Oregon transfer running back Trey Benson was the offensive star on Saturday. But his former Duck teammate Mycah Pittman showed a couple of glimpses into why he might be a major difference-maker for the Seminoles in 2022.

Pittman's main highlight was a 4-yard touchdown run in which he swept around left end, cut it back and then bulled through two defenders to get into the end zone. He's not anywhere close to the biggest receiver on the team. He's listed at just 5-foot-11 and 201 pounds, but his physical presence and sheer will to make plays is something that has stood out all spring.

"He's a tough football player," FSU head coach Mike Norvell said. "He's going to do all the things you want to see. He's going to play hard, whether he has the ball in his hand or not. He's going to try to bring that physical presence.

"What I love about him is whenever you see the ball in his hands, he's always going forward."

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On Saturday, Pittman actually found the end zone twice.

He started out the day by scoring a two-point conversion on a pass from Tate Rodemaker. On that play though, another one where he bullied his way into the end zone, he got banged up and missed multiple drives while he was being checked out by trainers.

"I will say I did have the option to stop (playing)," Pittman said. "But I'm not the guy to stop. I wanted to continue to play. And people will say it's spring ball, 'Who cares about it? What's the importance of spring ball?'

"And the importance of spring ball for me is discovering my identity and showing the coaches what I'm capable of doing, and being that guy that the team can rely on."

If he keeps up his play into the fall, Pittman might very well be relied on to be the team's No. 1 receiver.

Now, it wasn't all highlights for Pittman. He did drop a punt on Saturday -- something he hadn't done all spring -- when the ball was being whipped around the stadium because of heavy winds.

"It was the most unathletic I've ever looked," Pittman said.

And his offensive stats weren't overwhelming on Saturday either, but that wasn't the point.

When he got the ball twice inside the opponent's 5-yard line, he scored both times.

The second one, in particular, was one of those plays in which the defense actually did a a good job on the play and was in perfect position. But the offensive player just made a special effort to get into the end zone.

"Mycah, he's every bit of 200 pounds. He ain't scared to lower the boom," said Benson, who spent the past two years with Pittman at Oregon. "And he has strong hands. If the ball's in the air, he's gonna catch it regardless."

"He's like a big ball of muscle," quarterback Jordan Travis said. "He's strong as heck. He just loves the game."

Pittman's touchdown was the type of play that's been largely absent from the FSU receiving corps in recent years.

And while he didn't get a chance to show it off on Saturday, he has been the best receiver on the team when it comes to out-fighting defensive backs for "50-50 balls." He's made a number of tough, contested catches over the last month.

And on Saturday, that competitiveness and physicality was on display again when he steamrolled his way into the end zone.

"When I feel like it's an opportunity to get the ball in my hands, Coach (Norvell) is putting his faith in me," Pittman said. "And honestly he's built more confidence in myself because he believes in me. When you have a coach that believes in you and truly invests in you, you start to pick up that confidence and that true identity of what you're about."

What he's been about since he arrived at Florida State, what he's been about all spring including Saturday, is making those tough catches and getting those tough yards.

Case in point: That 4-yard TD run.

"Honestly, I got the ball, I wanted to score," Pittman said with a smile. "So, I got my butt in that end zone."

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