Spring football training is a time for teams to see where they stand several months before the regular season begins.
On Friday, the Florida A&M Rattlers held their third Red-White spring scrimmage, playing 12 of 15 practices.
But when FAMU head football coach James Colzie III immediately looked back at the scrimmage, it wasn't the plays that were made on the field that struck him.
“I thought we made some plays early on, but I wasn't too happy with our presentation today,” Colzie said after the scrimmage. “I told the team we were going to be a very good football team. But how we presented ourselves is not what I want to see any time.”
Colzi cited post-snap penalties, scuffles and over-celebrating frustrations.
FAMU had a referee officiating the game, and just like in a real game, a 15-yard penalty was called against the Rattlers.
“We're going to get used to scoring touchdowns and making big plays on defense, and sometimes there are fights,” Colsey said.
“I don't want to take away our energy. But I want us to be a well-represented football team and there were some things today that I thought we weren't happy with.”
Here are three takeaways from the third scrimmage and 12th practice of FAMU's spring football camp.
FAMU offense finishes drive, competing quarterback scores touchdown pass
The Rattlers' offense performed well on Friday, scoring points.
The FAMU starters' first drive, quarterbacked by Daniel Richardson, led to a field goal.
Richardson was able to separate the defense with short passes and take shots downfield toward aerial threats. He recorded two touchdown passes to wide receivers Trevonte Davis and Jamari Gassett during a volatile period.
It's a dangerous time for FAMU's defensive backs to shore up their coverage schemes against opposing teams' passing attacks. It's similar to a 7-on-7 football game.
“We have a lot of guys that can make plays. If you throw a short 5-yard pass, they can get 60 yards,” Richardson said. “It's a blessing to have players like that and we can get better one day soon.”
Junior Muratovic, who was also the starting quarterback alongside Richardson, scored on a touchdown pass to receiver Quan Lee. Richardson and Muratovic are in the middle of a quarterback battle.
FAMU quarterback Noah Ross also passed for a touchdown to Robert Lockhart III.
“When the defense makes a mistake, we don't want a field goal. We want a touchdown,” Colzi said. “There were some instances where we didn't communicate well or didn't see very well defensively. So our offense took advantage of that.”
There are bright spots for FAMU's defense as it works to live up to its tradition of dominance.
FAMU's “Dark Cloud Defense” has set the standard.
In 2023, the Rattlers' defense ranked second in total defense in the Football Championship Subdivision.
So we have high expectations for this unit.
They forced two turnovers on Friday.
FAMU defensive back Orel Gray started the scrimmage with an interception by a reserve player. Additionally, the FAMU defense jumped a throw from Muratovic to running back Levontae Summersett, which was recovered by defensive lineman James Gardner Jr.
“Defensively, I thought we did a good job overall. There's a standard set here, and we didn't live up to that standard today,” Colzie said. “We'll get to work on the film and make the appropriate adjustments.”
As Colzi noted, the FAMU offense scored at the expense of the defense.
For the Rattlers, the focus will be on improving communication on the field as the defense navigates a new unit and coordinator.
“The offense always lights us up and we meet them there every time,” FAMU defensive lineman James Ash said. “We made some big plays and I thought we had to lock in. When we came together as a team, we had a series of turnovers.
“If we can communicate faster, we'll be fine.”
FAMU brings special teams to third scrimmage of spring football
FAMU had a punt period from scrimmage.
Punters were tasked with putting special teams into various situations, including red zone punts and intentional shank punts.
As usual, Friday's practice ended with the kickers determining end-of-practice conditioning. The Rattlers finished the day running four gassers, as the FAMU kicker made just two of six field goal attempts.
But days when the Kickers are down aren't Colzi's worries. He believes they will improve.
“I have the utmost confidence in our players and Dr. Gamble on special teams,” Colsey said. “Today was not a good day to play soccer.''
Florida A&M Rattlers Spring Football Practice Schedule
Practice 13: April 9th (Tuesday)
Practice 14: Thursday, April 11th
Orange and Green Spring Game at Bragg Memorial Stadium: April 13th (Saturday) 4:00 p.m.
Gerald Thomas III covers Florida A&M University athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Reach him by email at gdthomas@tallahassee.com or on the app formerly known as his Twitter. @3peatgee.
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