The Florida State Seminoles have a critical game against the Clemson Tigers coming up this Saturday. Head coach Mike Norvell took the podium on Monday, and he spoke about his team's approach to the matchup.
"Coming off of last week, I know we didn't talk after practice last week, but I was really pleased with the work I saw from our guys, the attitude and approach. Just the collective effort as you get a chance to go and you see where issues have showed up throughout the course of the season, some of the things that we've done well, some of the things we need to build upon, and then coming off of our last game, where we did show some improvement in areas that I think are gonna be absolutely necessary for us to continue to grow on here in this
back half of the season."
Norvell also talked about his eagerness to see how FSU responds on Saturday.
"I'm excited to watch them play here this week, but gotta have a great week of preparation. It was good to have those practices last week. Got some guys that might have increased roles, you get some really good work for them, guys that are a little bit in the depth, you were able to give them some extra work to continue to show where they are."
Here's everything Norvell said.
On injury updates at linebacker and in the secondary
Blake (Nichelson) is progressing. Obviously we'll have an injury report at the end of the week. Blake probably won't be available this week, but we had a couple of guys that did go down last week. I think they are progressing, barring any setbacks, I do feel that we'll be able to have most of those guys there at the linebacker room back. It's thin, guys that are dealing with a lot, but I'm hopeful that we'll have that group intact, like I said, barring any setbacks. It was good to see some of the guys working.
I think Jordan Crutchfield is trending well to be able to get back in the secondary. We've had some guys that have been banged up there as well. Jordan's a guy that has shown some flashes here, just dealt with some minor injuries that have kind of set him back just from the consistency of his opportunities, but expecting him to get some good work here this week and hopefully be available. Devin Carter is coming into having an opportunity this week, barring any setbacks, we'll see where that goes. You'll see what that looks like, another explosive player that brings opportunity.
I was really pleased with Jasen Lopez having a big catch in the Miami game, getting a little bit more work there. So just watching him, I thought he had a good week of practice last week as well. So seeing his continued growth. At the end of the day, you get to this point in the season, there's gonna be guys with bumps, bruises, your depth will always be tested and we've kind of gone through it a little bit, with some positions that are just really thin. But I thought guys took advantage of last week, with what they could do, with treatments and obviously guys that might have more opportunity, took advantage of the practice reps.
On what he learned about the team during the bye week
Obviously all the data and all the things that you try to get your weekly updates, but just to sit back and really take the big picture and you collectively over the course of seven games, the quality control aspect of it, of maybe areas of focus as our team has developed, as it's kind of unfolded with personnel, how guys are playing, having to play different positions with what we have available right now, what are the best ways we can put guys in position to be successful? What are things that we've been able to do well? What are things that maybe opponents with tendencies, things that have shown up on our end.
Based off personnel, based off concept schemes, just making sure that we have full awareness and really taking a deep dive into all of that. And then just, you're truly staying focused on the fundamentals of making sure that we're fighting for leverage, we're defensively making sure we're setting an edge, making sure that we understand who to get the ball back to, whether it's in the run game, making sure that we're playing on proper leverage and coverage, I think continuing to develop the different aspects of a man and zone coverage, just to where we need to be. And then offensively, just clean up a lot of the details within our concepts, whether it's the run schemes where you have plays that are really close to being explosives.
We've been able to have explosive runs, we've been able to have explosive plays, but just the consistency of that, and usually it's one or two either blocks or one or two elements where we can be a little bit cleaner of spacing, understanding how to, where we want to attack with our leverages, I think those were the things that were a big focus for us and just continuing to build upon things we've done well and then obviously things that we think can be helpful for us here in the back end that we've got to be, got to be cleaner with.
On not winning close games over the last few seasons
As you sit there you go through it, if it was just one factor, it would, you could fix it, just that one dynamic. I mean, it's something that in each game, there's been either close calls, there's been things that have gone our way, things that have not. You look at execution and critical moments, whether it's a leverage that you give up that allows for a play to happen.
For the most part in those situations, communication has been clean in most of the situations, but it still comes down to being able to execute in the moment, being able to trust your technique, trust your fundamentals, when you're in the moment, then you gotta go make the play. I mean, that, I think we put ourselves in position. It's a big, broad statement of why close games, but each one of them has their own part.
We've had multiple games that have come down to a last play, that I felt had a positive outcome that maybe didn't work out the way we wanted it to work out, but there's a lot of different factors that do tie into it. It's continuing to focus on the things that we control and then when you get the opportunities, you gotta rely on those things that you've done to put yourself in position to be in that game in that moment, but then you just gotta be able to finish it.
On if the next five games are enough to show that FSU is a stable program
I want to see growth. That's our focus, is that each week we step on the field, are you growing to maximize your potential? Are you growing to be the best that you can be? And that's my focus. At the end of the day, as I've said, I believe in what this team can do. I believe in the guys that we have, I think we've got some really talented young players that are growing into who they can be, who they are.
We've got some really talented players that are unavailable due to injury and provide new opportunities for guys to go kind of put their stamp on this season and what it can be. And so, that's my focus is this week, I want to see the best Florida State football team, go out there and perform, execute, finish, and do everything we can to be successful. Then I want to see that continued growth the next week. That's the things that we control. I believe in where we're going.
For the long term, short term, all of it. We've had a challenging road to this point and we've played some quality opponents and we've come up short and we've been in very competitive games up to this point. We’ve got to continue to get better throughout this journey, but I've got a lot of belief in where we're heading and the people that we're getting to do it with.
On the success of the screen game
I think it's a combination of all. You got to practice it. You gotta believe in it. You gotta make sure that things schematically fit the players that you do have. I think we have an offensive line that's done a good job, taking a lot of ownership in being able to get out on the perimeter, be able to help spring big plays. We've got a quarterback that does have savvy in being able to entice a rush or be able to get the ball out.
I think our backs, tight ends, receivers, everybody that's been involved in that has shown their belief and confidence in what they can be because it takes everybody. One of the things I like about the screen game is that it's a misdirection. There's different elements that go to it. But it does take everybody for it to be able to be successful. It's something we work a good amount.
You felt pretty confident going in, and even throughout the course of the year, we had some missed opportunities early that I like to have back. But I think this team as we've continued to go through the year, some games are going to provide more opportunities than others, but I think these guys have done a good job here as the season's progressed.
On what Clemson does well defensively
They're aggressive in what they do. They blitz about 50% of the time. But they're, even when they don't blitz, you feel the movements. They're athletic, they've got good size across the board, their front seven, probably one of the biggest improvements within their team is just in the defensive backfield. They're able to play a lot of men, I think (Ashton) Hampton's probably the best corner that we faced up to this point this year.
They're moving him all over. Whether it's the best receiver that he's gone against, he's playing in a slot, playing outside, but I think that's one of the things that's really allowed them to grow and do more defensively is just the ability to play man and play it well. I think last week they had six sacks, 10 TFLs. This is a team that they can create problems for you.
They've had two games that have kind of been outliers for them, but they do a good job of running the football, they're violent when they get there, couple that with the amount of pressure that they bring. You gotta be on point in all things protection-wise, obviously, in your run game, you're seeing run-throughs and then trying to put yourself in the best position because they're gonna attack you from a variety of different ways.
On the placement of the bye week this season
It’s how it all plays. I appreciate how our guys approached the bye week. We don't get to pick that. I'd have probably taken it before one of the Friday night road games, short weeks. That would have been my preference. But ultimately, how it all played it still comes down to how guys approach it. You come off an emotional game and there's no doubt. It was an emotional disappointment, but it was still a lot of things I was proud of our team for, for the way they played, the way they competed, the position they put us in, but how they came back on the Sunday after that game, how they worked during the bye week practices.
The physicality, the competition, we put a lot of competitive drills in the last week and you felt that from our team. They weren't going out there just trying to get through a bye week practice. They're out there challenging each other, challenging themselves to see growth, to see improvement because this team, it is a fun group to coach. I say that because they've got a lot of want-to, and you're seeing some positive steps that are emerging from guys that have played college football for a good while, some guys that are just at the very beginning part of their journey.
You see how they've come together and I'm really looking forward to this back-part of the season to see just the way that they continue to ascend. Wherever the bye week was, it's great, but how our guys handled the bye week is what I was probably most pleased with. Now, we gotta have a great week of prep this week, because obviously, it's a great challenge for us Saturday.
On if Florida State uses AI for in-game decisions
No, not in-game. We have our analytics that we'll utilize in-game, just from your different sequences, different things that show up, just in all aspects of it. We'll utilize when you get a sense of tendencies, when you get a sense of different things that self-scout as well as different things you might see from opponents. Those are things that we will use throughout the course of the week, but not the in-game aspect of it. No.
On if he heard back after reaching out about officiating
I did. Their response. I do have a lot of respect for Gary. I thought he…nobody's happy with what happened. I think Gary handled it in a respectful manner for how he's evaluating the calls that are made, there's going to be good calls, there's gonna be bad calls. We had a good conversation there last week. Kind of gave me his feedback.
Each week you send in plays that you have questions about, because it's still about growing and getting better. If there's things that are done a certain way, if there's a foul called, you want to make sure that you could teach your players, and then there's sometimes that there's just misses. That's where he's able to teach his officials on things that they see or what they think they see. In some of those moments, they can be game-changers. They can be life-changers.
Ultimately, as you go through and you look at the things that go into each of these games and the importance of every call. Our discussion was our discussion, he has his process that he goes through. I do have a lot of respect for the job that he does. As I said last week, I respect the job that all officials, coaches…it's a lot that we all pour into it. There's some challenging, challenging, situations and calls that show up you kind of live with it and grow from it.
On the potential of Luke Francis Jr. and Nikau Hepi, and how international recruiting has evolved
It’s definitely something that's expanded. When you've seen guys that have come in and, whether it's our program or other programs across the country, grow and develop. Both of those guys are very, very new and young to the game. There's aspects of just understanding that are continuing to grow.
They've both got a great size, I do believe they both have ability as they develop throughout. Last week was an important week for guys like them. Probably still have a process in front of them for them to get to where they're going to be ready to help us, but when we took them, we knew that this was going to be a process. I know Herb (Hand)'s point in both of those guys, they're working hard at it, we are seeing the growth, and I think that's something you'll always continue to evaluate.
There are guys that might have a little bit less experience in the game, but with either physical traits, abilities, whether it's size, athleticism that we think can translate well, obviously provide opportunity for that. It's been good, and I think both those guys will continue to progress and could always explore those opportunities as we move forward.
On the 24-team playoff
From the things that have been talked about, the elimination of conference championship games, 24 teams. I see the value of it, continuing to expand the opportunity of teams being able to get in. There's still always going to be ‘who should be’. Whatever group is going to be selected, it's always that next group that could have or should have. But when you look at 24 teams, you got a pretty good widespread net that you're gonna get to the team that plays the best throughout that has been given an opportunity and has been able to accomplish to truly go earn a national championship.
It can be really positive. When it comes to the security part of it, I really haven't thought as much about what that would look like or what that looks like. I think it does give teams…it'll be interesting to see what that focus of you're in or out and how that all plays to it for a coach or for a program. At the end of the day, I think it's probably for where college football is going, it's probably for the greater good of it to have a little bit more expanded pool.
It'll be interesting to see how the bowl games and the different other opportunities that for student-athletes and just how that can all kind of work together. Because I do think there's some, there could be a really positive path for the teams that are in it, and then also the teams that might earn another opportunity just with some of the traditional or even non-traditional bowls that have been out there. So I think it'd be a good deal.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Everything Mike Norvell said about playing Clemson
