Florida State put a bow on Miami week in terms of open practices Wednesday with the second and final practice availability of the week before Saturday night's game at Hard Rock Stadium. Once again, the Hurricane flag was waving over the practice field and once again, crowd noise was blaring inside FSU's practice facility to simulate the expected hostile atmosphere the Seminoles are walking into this weekend.

Here are the Osceola observations from Wednesday morning's day of work:

• As always, Wednesday’s practice saw a bunch of situational work during team periods. The first of those periods was a one-minute drill. Brock Glenn’s drive was derailed by a strong effort from the defensive line. On third and short, Glenn’s pass was tipped at the line and nearly intercepted by KJ Sampson. On fourth and short, a handoff to try and convert was blown up in the backfield by Byron Turner Jr.
• Luke Kromenhoek’s one-minute drill, on the other hand, was quite successful. After gaining just one yard on the first two plays, he got the offense out to midfield on third and long with a quick anticipatory sideline pass to Elijah Moore which the true freshman ran down and caught for a first down. The very next play, a pass over the middle was a bit high and tipped into the air by a defensive back but Amaree Williams made quite the heads-up play to see the ball in the air and run it down, making a diving catch on a ball that wasn't intended for him. The very next play, Kromenhoek again connected with Moore down the sideline for a 25-yard touchdown. The offense went 74 yards in three plays with all production from true freshmen with Moore amassing 49 yards and a touchdown on a pair of catches. Moore was did fumble in the next team period so he continues to have some freshman moments. But the upside continues to make it tempting to put him on the field and see what happens.
• Glenn and Kromenhoek each made some nice throws later in team periods as well as the practice progressed. Glenn stood in the pocket and aired out an exceptional deep ball to Williams in stride during the next 11-on-11 period and had a great pass down the seam to Kyle Morlock during 7-on-7 pass skelly. Kromenhoek had a dart of a touchdown to BJ Gibson in red-zone work while Glenn had a great throw down the sideline to freshman running back Micahi Danzy during the same period.
• In 1-on-1s, Hykeem Williams and Jalen Brown each had great catches in the back corner of the end zone where they created enough separation and high-pointed passes thrown their. Another freshman wideout, Lawayne McCoy, had a drop during pass skelly on a pass that hit him right in the hands but redeemed himself the very next play with an impressive diving catch over the middle.
• While the "sacks' weren't always whistled dead when they probably should have been Wednesday morning, the defense got quite a bit of pressure on the offense, especially during the middle period of 11-on-11 work Wednesday. Omar Graham Jr. and Justin Cryer each had "sacks" when blitzing from the linebacker spot while Edwin Joseph had one blitzing from the cornerback spot. Pat Payton had a sack during red-zone work
• Redshirt freshman DB Ja'Bril Rawls had a forced fumble during 11-on-11 work, ripping the ball out after Moore caught it. Charles Lester III had a nice pass breakup on a pass into the end zone and Payton had one during red-zone work, reading the quarterback's eyes and drifting back enough to knock a pass over the middle out of the air. Blake Nichelson also had a PBU during the pass-skelly period.

Excellent. Hopefully some of our negative, outspoken posters will listen to it.

I listened twice.

If you haven’t listened, it is well worth the listen.

FSU sports information:

Florida State sophomore Tyler Weaver finished third at the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, as stroke play concluded on Tuesday at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country.

Weaver established the early lead after round one, turning in the top score of 3-under par, 67. He shot 72 in the second round on Monday and was tied for third in the clubhouse at 2-over.

In the third and final round on Tuesday, Weaver was out in 35, carding three birdies. He finished the round 1-under par, 69 to claim third place at 1-over for the tournament.

“I am very proud of Tyler,” FSU coach Trey Jones said. “He put himself in a position to win. He’s learned a lot today that will help him the next time he is in this situation.”

Luke Clanton shot his lowest round of the tournament, 71. He finished tied for 14th place at 5-over par.

Jack Bigham scored 73 to finish the round 3-over and 10-over par for the tournament in 23rd place.

After shooting rounds of 78 and 77 on Monday, Gray Albright rebounded and carded 1-under, 69 to finish in 29th place. Albright went out in 36 on the front nine, and scored three birdies on the back to go in at 33.

Michael Mays shot 4-over par, 74 to finish the tournament 20-over.

The 12th-ranked Seminoles finished in fifth place in stroke play at 31-over par.

FSU will compete at the East Lake Cup at the East Lake Club in Atlanta from Oct. 28-29.

Jackson T. Stephens Cup

3. Tyler Weaver – 67, 75, 69

T14. Luke Clanton – 73, 72, 71

T23 Jack Bigham – 72, 75, 73

34. Gray Albright – 78, 77, 69

35. Michael Mays – 79, 77, 74

Team Scores

No. 19 Oklahoma State +6

RV SMU +10

San Diego State +13

No. 1 Oklahoma + 15

No. 12 Florida State +31

RV Arkansas +41

FSU sports information:

Junior All-American Lottie Woad carded a final round 70 and finished in third place in the individual standings, and the No. 9 ranked Florida State Women’s Golf team finish in a tie for fourth place in the team standings in the final standings of the Jackson T. Stephens Cup at the Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club. Despite finishing in a tie for fourth in the team standings, the Seminoles fell short of playing on the final day of match play as South Carolina was awarded the fourth and final team position on individual scores.

South Carolina won the tiebreaker based on the total/cumulative scores of the fifth (non-counting) players’ scores through the three rounds.

Oregon won the team championship and advanced to the final day of match play in the tournament along with Arkansas, Wake Forest, and South Carolina. Carolina Chacarra of Wake Forest won the individual championship with a four-stroke victory over Oregon’s Kiara Romero with Woad placing third.

Woad has now finished in the top three in five consecutive tournaments including the 2024 NCAA Las Vegas Regional Championship (third), the 2024 NCAA Championship Finals (second), the 2024 Folds of Honor Collegiate (tied for third), the 2024 Schooner Fall Classic (tied for second), and the Jackson T. Stephens Cup (third).

Woad (third place) and senior Kaylah Williams (tied for eighth place) allowed Florida State to rank as one of three teams in the event (also Oregon and Arkansas) to finish the prestigious championship with multiple players in the top eight of the individual standings.

“We played our best round of the tournament today which we are happy about,” FSU coach Amy Bond said. “We are disappointed about playing well and not qualifying for match play but there are lessons to be learned from every round. Ultimately, it comes down to one shot in each tournament; I stress each day the value of every shot. Unfortunately one shot cost us an opportunity to advance to match play.

“We got better today, and we will be better in the long run because of this disappointment.”

Woad, the No. 1 ranked amateur player in the world, was her consistent self as she finished with an even par 70 – a round that included 17 holes scored at par or better with 16 scored a par. Woad finished the event as she carded pars on 41 of her 54 holes played (.759 percent) including scores of par or better on 33 of her final 36 holes.

Woad has now earned 14 career top five individual finishes and 19 career top-10 individual finishes in 22 career events as a Seminole. She has finished outside of the top 10 only once in her last 13 tournaments dating to the start of the fall 2023 season.

Williams finished her play with a 2 over par score of 72 and a three-round total of 220. Her tied for eighth place finish is the second-best finish of her career – rivaling her sixth place finish in the Florida State Match Up during the spring of 2023. Williams’s three-round score of 220 ranks as her best since a 214 score at the 2023 ANNIKA Intercollegiate.

Williams carded a pair of scores of 72 in the Stephens Cup and has now carded scores of 72 in three of her last five rounds.

Freshman Sophia Fullbrook carded a 1 over par score of 71 in Tuesday’s third round of play – her best score of the event. She carded scores of 71 in the first round and 73 in the third round and finished in 19th place in the individual standings.

The Seminoles close out their fall season as they play in the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C. with play beginning on Friday. The event is a 54-hole event at the Country Club of Landfall. Florida State finished in third place in the event in 2023.

Jackson T. Stephens Cup/Oct. 21-23, 2024

Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club/Nicholls Hills, Okla./Par 70

T4/6.-Florida State, 893

3. – Lottie Woad, 215

T8. – Kaylah Williams, 220

T19. – Sophia Fullbrook, 227

30. – Alexandra Gazzoli, 237

31. – Christina Surcey, 239



Jackson T. Stephens Cup/Oct. 21-23, 2024

Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club/Nicholls Hills, Okla./Par 70

1.-Oregon, 867

2.-Arkansas, 881

3.-Wake Forest, 890

T4.-South Carolina, 893

T4.-Oklahoma State, 893

T4.-Florida State, 893

It's no secret that Miami will be packing Hard Rock on Saturday with a ton of recruits from South Florida to watch the game vs. Florida State. While Florida State is a three touchdown underdog, a competitive performance in Coral Gables may do some good to halt some of the downward trajectory in recruiting that this season has created.

Here are some of the names expected:

Florida State commits:

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Florida State 2025 targets:

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Florida State 2026 targets:

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Florida State offered three-star 2025 JUCO DT/DE Tyeland Coleman on Tuesday evening. He is the No. 25 ranked JUCO prospect in this year's cycle.

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Story Link: Florida State offers 2025 JUCO DT

Who or what group of coaches/analysts are vetting players coming in. Are the opposing coaches transparent
with players leaving? It's the NFL now and they obviously have some system or protocol in place? Right

When is CMN going to start making moves to right this sunk ship? Friendships and loyalty is only going to get him so far. How long is he willing to let his career keep on this trajectory?

On Tuesday's edition of the Osceola's Seminole Sidelines, host Patrick Burnham is joined by Charles Fishbein, Nick Carlisle and Tampa sports talk show host JP Peterson to discuss FSU football recruiting and preview FSU vs. Miami.

Thanks to Seminole Sidelines' sponsors: Alumni Hall and Mowrey Law Firm.

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We will likely have a full house for Seminole Sidelines tonight with Mark Salva, Jerry Kutz, Bob Ferrante and Curt Weiler planning to join. We will talk about the importance of the next 12 weeks as it relates to the future of the program: How does FSU finish the season on the field, holding onto this recruiting class, navigating the portal in December (who will leave, who will they need to replace), potential changes down the road on the coaching staff.

Please leave any questions you may have in this thread so we can try to answer them.


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Hello fans. I've been quiet for a long time. Why? Don't know. Nevertheless, I am now moved to write.
Last year and for the last few years, I have heard the term "meaningless" bowl game used frequently by many fans and media. I've always felt that is wrong. Reality is that all of these games are truly meaningless in terms of life. Every single one. The national championship game too. Unless you're somehow financially connected to the game, it's all just entertainment.
But as a fan, I've never ever felt that any game was meaningless. Especially bowl games. Last year, people said the Orange Bowl was meaningless against Georgia. We played like it too. It looks like we have a nice hangover still from New Year's.
I now invite everyone who subscribes to what I call the "meaningless fallacy" to reconsider their opinion. Otherwise, given that "meaningless" means no possibility of a championship, the rest of the season for the Seminoles is therefore meaningless.
I bet you don't feel that way and I don't either. I now hope to get to a bowl game and I hope the players feel the same way. I hope when they get to a bowl, the players and the fans don't view it as meaningless.

Mike Norvell doesn't shy away from saying he puts more importance on FSU's rivalry games against Florida and Miami. While his team has really struggled this season, he's hopeful the Miami rivalry will bring out the best in his team this week.

From the Osceola's Justin Hood: Observations, thoughts on FSU softball newcomers from Saturday exhibition

They aren’t even worth watching. That started in the SMU game, for me, but it’s on at the bar. What a joke.

The big picture for Florida State is player development. In a season where the Seminoles (1-6) have struggled at every position group on offense, there are opportunities for true freshmen to begin seeing the field on game days or earn more snaps.

FSU's hero of the game - Omar Graham Jr. Six tackles and a massive TFL

Praise from Mike Norvell for how Graham has handled adversity, how he has played and "stayed the course."

With a hurricane warning flag flying over Florida State's practice complex, the Seminoles began Miami week Monday morning.

The Friday game last week at Duke allowed FSU to sneak in an extra practice this week so the practice availabilities will be Monday and Wednesday with Tuesday, Thursday and Friday closed to the media. Here are the observations from the first day of practice availability this week.

• Monday's practice in many ways reminded me of the FSU offense's performance in Friday's loss at Duke. The run game had some nice moments during team periods. Lawrance Toafili, Caziah Holmes, Micahi Danzy and Sam Singleton each had moments where they got to the second level of the defense on the ground for a sizable gain. However, the passing game never was able to string together much success during good-on-good team periods Monday. The pass rush was consistently hurrying up the quarterbacks and making it hard for them to have time to find the open man downfield.
• In 7-on-7 pass skelly work, though, the quarterbacks had more success. Luke Kromenhoek uncorked an exceptional deep ball on the very first play of the period that was run down and caught in the air between two defenders by Lawayne McCoy for a touchdown. It drew a big reaction from me as I didn't think McCoy was going to make the play and the pass couldn't have been much better. Fellow freshman wideout Elijah Moore was again a frequent target of Kromenhoek's during scout-team work and 7-on-7, made a few nice catches and did a good job of getting consistently open. Mike Norvell praised the freshman wide receivers after practice for very impressive days of work.
• I thought the quarterbacks were about even on the day. Neither had stellar days, but one wasn't particularly better or worse than the other on the day. Brock Glenn remains listed as the starter on the depth chart but it remains to be seen what the real situation will be for Saturday's game at Miami.
• In 1-on-1s, Hykeem Williams dropped the first pass of the period, seeing it bounce off his hands. Wide receivers coach Ron Dugans got onto the sophomore, yelling at him to "catch the football." That's just what Williams did in his next two reps, first getting his hands above his head for a nice extended catch on a ball that I thought was going to be too high for him and then creating separation deep for a chunk gain way downfield. While the beginning was not great, it was a better ending to the period for Williams.
• Ja'Bril Rawls had an interception on a Kromenhoek pass during pass skelly 7-on-7. It seemed to be a miscommunication between the quarterback and his intended receiver as the pass was not in the immediate area of any target, instead going close to Rawls who made the play. Grady Kelly also had a pass breakup at the line of scrimmage during 11-on-11 work Monday morning.

Read we lost another and are outside the top 50 now. I’m not a recruitnik but this is a mess. It seems we’d already had too much portal focus and average recruiting, and now it seems we’ve not just lost momentum but maybe reversed it.

It looks like we’ve a lot to deal with. Suit not going quickly at all. Bottom falling out of team. All while pushing for more money. Losing ratings badly when we need them most.

Should I be as worried as I am about recruiting? I think even with money there it’s not easy to get these kids. And we’re not offering anything now to make kids pick us over even decent P2 programs.

This may a truncated version of Second Look Sunday due to a couple of things, one Mike and his staff are meeting with the media today instead of Monday and the team is practicing tomorrow instead of today and I and we plan on attending so I might not have enough time to get through the entire game by tomorrow morning.


That being said, I would he happy to answer some of your questions on the game if you have any about the game?

A couple of obvious things, the defense played well enough to win the game. You aren't going to beat anyone when you turn the ball over four times, just ask Texas who did the same thing last night vs. Georgia. And despite all of that, FSU is three dropped passes away from having at least 13 more points on the board.

Malik Benson's drop in the first half, would have led to at least a field goal. Poiter dropped a TD pass and if Hykeem Williams doesn't drop the ball in the second half inside the Duke 30 and likely would have gotten a field goal out of that drive.

The bad news is Duke beat FSU without even trying to move the ball on FSU. They knew they couldn't run the ball on FSU but continued to do so to shorten the game. Manny Diaz knew that FSU couldn't move the ball consistently on his defense and wanted to do just enough on offense to get out the game with a win. Duke attempted in second fewest passes of the season vs. FSU on Friday.