FSU's Manuel feels fine as opener approaches

Published Aug. 23, 2012 5:16 p.m. ET

foxsports

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State quarterback EJ Manuel said he feels 100 percent healthy after rolling his ankle last week in practice.

“It was just basically an ankle sprain, just like you would roll your ankle in basketball coming down from a rebound,” Manuel said. “… I’m fine. I’ve dealt with worse. A sprain ain’t going to hold me back at all.”

Manuel has played through thumb, shoulder and leg injuries in his FSU career.

He missed FSU’s first scrimmage a week ago, returning to practice the following day. On Thursday, the Seminoles held their second and final scrimmage of the preseason, and Manuel said he led the first-team offense to a touchdown or field goal on four of the five drives.

The scrimmage was closed and statistics were not given to the media. But FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said Manuel threw a couple of touchdown passes and that he was pleased with how Manuel performed.

“Threw the ball very accurate,” Fisher said. “I liked his decisions. For the most part, I really liked what he did.”

Manuel said he felt relaxed in the pocket on Thursday as he led his group against the second-team defense.

“The line did great,” Manuel said. “I felt comfortable in the pocket and was able to deliver the ball.

“It’s never really a rush to get the ball out. Granted you still have some great (defensive) ends getting around the edge sometime, but what’s helped me is just moving around the pocket, keep my hands up and deliver the pass.”

Manuel said that as a senior, each day signifies something for him as he crosses the “lasts” off his list. On Tuesday, it was the last two-a-day. And on Thursday, it was his final scrimmage.

He feels that Fisher and the coaching staff have now shut the door on preseason practice and moved on to preparation for the season opener against Murray State on Sept. 1 in Tallahassee.

“You can sense it once Jimbo called everybody up in the huddle after the end of scrimmage,” Manuel said. “We were like, ‘Hey, it’s game week.’ You can tell everybody has their mind in the right place.”