Staff Reports

Tallahassee, Fla - There were just enough big plays made on both sides of the football to encourage Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher after the Seminoles held their first preseason scrimmage inside Doak Campbell Stadium Thursday afternoon.

The Seminoles took on the mid-day heat and each other in a session that stretched over three hours from warm-up to the final whistle. And while the action was far from flawless, Fisher was genuinely enthused with what he had witnessed.

“We did some good things on both sides of the ball,” Fisher said. “I really like the way the offense came out early; was very physical and ran the ball well… Defensively, we gave up a few things, then went back and did some things well on third down. I was pleased with their third-down effort.”

With starting quarterback EJ Manuel sitting out the scrimmage after suffering an ankle sprain at the end of Wednesday’s practice, redshirt sophomore Clint Trickett took all of the repetitions under center with the first-team offense and made them count. Fisher said that Trickett, who made two starts a year ago but has returned bigger and stronger, has solidified his spot as Manuel’s back-up.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,” Fisher said, citing, “the knowledge of what he’s doing and the way he played today.”