Injuries slow down progress on offense
TALLAHASSEE — New Florida State coach Willie Taggart and his offensive coaching staff have tried to set the foundation of his Gulf Coast offense this spring.
But the Seminoles have been dealing with a significant injury bug, particularly on the offensive line, that has hindered the offense’s progress during two spring scrimmages.
Still, with the few players they have on hand, FSU has worked to cross-train its offensive linemen with hopes they can grasp the ins and outs of Taggart’s new scheme.
“A lot of guys are working in a lot of different positions, so it wasn’t as consistent as you’d like it to be, but our guys fought through it and did some good things,” Taggart said Monday, recapping FSU’s latest scrimmage ahead of the annual Garnet and Gold spring game Saturday at 6 p.m.
With returning starting center Alec Eberle, starting guard Cole Minshew, backup center Baveon Johnson and tackles Abdul Bello and Jauan Williams, the Seminoles have eight healthy offensive linemen, including a walk-on, getting most of the work this spring.
For the second consecutive Monday practice after a Saturday scrimmage, Taggart intently watched position coach Greg Frey — a member of FSU’s 1993 national-championship team — instruct his offensive line.
Guard Landon Dickerson, guard/tackle Derrick Kelly, tackles Josh Ball, Mike Arnold and Christian Armstrong, centers Corey Martinez and Brady Scott, and walk-on Andrew Basham learned the intricacies of footwork, proper hand placement and blocking incoming defenders at the tackle and guard positions on both sides of the line.
FSU’s offensive line depth has also taken a hit with David Robbins, Andrew Boselli, Brock Ruble and Ethan Frith no longer on the team after last season.
“I know some players don’t like it as much, but it’s giving them a good experience of playing different roles in different positions,” Taggart said. “You’d like more consistent play, have a guy at a position and just let him go, but we can’t do that right now.”
Overall, Taggart seemed more upbeat about his team’s performance during its second scrimmage. After the first scrimmage on March 31, Taggart harped about false starts and lining up out of position offensively.
“It was up and down,” Taggart said recapping the latest scrimmage. “The defense started the scrimmage really well, and the offense finished the scrimmage really well. There’s a lot to take away from that.
“Offensively, I’d like to start faster and finish strong. And defensively, you’d like to finish strong.”
With Taggart serving as a commissioner, the Seminoles held a draft Saturday to determine which players will play on the Garnet and Gold teams during the spring game.
Linebackers coach Raymond Woodie courted senior defensive tackle Demarcus Christmas and receiver D.J. Matthews for the Garnet team while defensive ends coach Mark Snyder wooed quarterback James Blackman and defensive end Brian Burns as both teams were allowed to lure two free agents to their teams.
Running back Cam Akers, defensive backs Levonta Taylor, Stanford Samuels and Hamsah Nasirildeen, quarterback Bailey Hockman, receiver Tamorrion Terry and linebacker Dontavious Jackson are among Garnet team standouts.
Running back Jacques Patrick, wide receiver Keith Gavin, tight end Tre’ McKitty and defensive back Jaiden Woodbey highlight the Gold team.