For the 10th straight time under Mike Norvell, the FSU Seminoles lost on the road. This time it was to the Alabama Crimson Tide, falling 50-36 on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Florida State seized control of the game early, taking a 21-6 lead in the second quarter. Alabama wasn't going to go away and outscored them 20-0 in the final 2:36 of the first half to take the lead. They pulled away in the second half, and their success on the ground was a major reason why.
Tony White's defense held Alabama to 27 rushing yards in the first half, but allowed 220 in the second half, and all three of the Crimson Tide's touchdowns were on the ground. FSU head coach Mike Norvell pointed out several reasons for the change.
"I mean,
there was an element of it late where we got worn down, just being on the field," he said. "But there was a couple of times where we had just a self-inflicted mishap of alignment. I mean the blitz you're supposed to be sending into it, and you don't, and there are big plays, no edge shows up. They did a good job getting guys blocked, running backs ran really hard."
"And they did some things, getting into bigger personnels, and were able to capture a couple of edges or we had a missed tackle, or a misalignment that you can't have," he added.
Norvell also addressed Ashton Daniels' three interceptions, the poor defensive performance, the passing attack, and more. Here are his comments after FSU lost to Alabama.
Opening Statement
First off, you know, congratulations to Alabama. Your second week in a row there showed, you know, a really good response to you as a football team and how they were able to overcome, you know, just different elements of the game. You know, I thought our guys came out and you played really well.
You know, you know, there early, you know, we're definitely, you know, aggressive, in our mindset, you know, approach all things that we want to do just to go out and you'll be able to play at a level that we know we're capable of playing at. And, you know, I know with the delays and, you know, all the things that happened throughout the course of the game. I mean, I thought our guys handled that well early.
You're obviously not as good coming out, you know, from what became the halftime break, obviously, you know, the big plays, you know, with Alabama that are surrounding that, you know, us missing a couple of opportunities there. You know, it was a big kind of swing of momentum. But I still saw, you know, saw times, you know, there in that third quarter, you know, seeing the response and, you know, getting it back to, you know, to a one-score game, you know, being in a position where, you know, our guys, you know, had a chance to go win it.
Unfortunately, we weren't able to get to the stop there at the end. You know, had some missed opportunities there offensively on a couple of drives that, you know, that we got to have. And when you come on the road, you know, hostile environment, it's a good football team.
We got to capitalize on those, you know, weren't able to create takeaways, you know, there defensively. And, you know, we had three turnovers. So it's, you know, that's a big part of the game.
But, you know, I thought our team, they battled. You played really, you know, really hard, you know, throughout it. And then, you know, just unfortunately, not enough plays, you know, throughout to come out victorious.
On what led to FSU's hot start
I mean, you know, it's just guys are continuing to grow, you know, in practice and what they're doing. I was very confident, very confident going into this game of what I believe we could do. I'm pissed off right now that we didn't win this game.
Like it was not coming in to see, you know, like we didn't play to the level even that I know we're capable of. But I mean, there was good plays that looked like what I've seen, you know, throughout the course of, you know, spring, summer, you know, the work in fall. I mean, you know, early in the season, you're kind of continuing to develop who you are, that identity.
You know, I thought guys prepared well, you know, throughout this week. But just unfortunately, you know, we didn't. And just as I told them there, you know, we didn't handle some of the swings in the game the way that we needed to.
And yeah, you can, you know, sometimes your momentum works in, you know, in wild ways. But, you know, as I tell the guys, you know, momentum only affects the teams that allow it to. And, you know, there's times we allowed and, you know, just didn't respond the way we needed to respond with things that we can control.
And you get caught up, you get emotional, you get maybe misalignment or, you know, a call, you know, just in the moment. And it's just frustration that's there. But, you know, I am proud of the team for the way they work.
I told them that, you know, afterwards, I'm grateful. I'm grateful for how they allow us to coach them. You know, it's just, you know, I want it all.I want it all. You know, and just in the way that we finished, we needed to be better.
On their defense allowing so much yardage, their inability to get off the field
I mean, Alabama's a good, the last two teams we played are, you know, top offenses, you know, that, but there's, we need to get, we've got to be able to get on this field. We showed capability in the early part of the game. You know, we had, we allowed too many explosive plays, you know, tonight, you know, thought we did a better job on third down.
Obviously, they converted two fourth downs, you know, there tonight that extended drives, but, you know, it really was explosive plays that killed us. You know, they throw the bubble and, you know, don't get the edge set. And, you know, obviously it's a long touchdown play.
You know, obviously the quarterback scramble run, you know, and then, you know, just as the run game got going for them later in the game, kind of, it did wear on us. And, you know, we got to be able to get off the field. And, you know, keep them in longer situations.
But, yes, not good enough. You give up, you know, over 550 yards offense. You know, I mean, it's a good team, good offense. Yes, but, you know, we've got to be better.
On how they keep the team together, deal with the outside noise
I mean, you know, at the end of the day, this team, they really enjoy the work. They enjoy who they get to do it with.
They enjoy, you know, the opportunity. I mean, it's, there's been noise around the program, you know, for the last couple of years. And, you know, we're working to make sure that we stay focused on the things that we can control to be able to go and, you know, obviously be the best we can be.
That's what I absolutely what I care about to see. And it's just for a 60-minute game, just going to, you know, put that on display. And, you know, in that locker room, there's a lot of disappointed, you know, young men and staff and everybody involved.
But it's still our choice and the things that we're willing to give and willing to invest. I've watched this team continue to pour into each other with noise around it, with all the stuff. I mean, at the end of the day, you focus on, same old thing, focus on what you control, but that's what you have to do.
And, you know, there's, for the rest of your life, people are going to say things about you. And if you allow that to, you know, change who you are, change how you work, change, you know, the things that you are doing to be the best that you can, then it's not real. And I mean, I believe in this team.
I believe in who we are. I believe in what we can do, what we can accomplish. We had, you know, for anything that's happened before, right, you know, this team in this moment, you know, that's my focus.
And, you know, the winning seasons throughout my coaching career and all the things in the losing season, none of that affects this team. This team has to worry about ourselves. We've shown capability.
We've got to show that we can go take the step, you know, against good opponents and challenging situations and get the job done. And that's what we're going to focus on. But I've not seen any pullback from this team.
I'm not seeing anything, you know, sitting in that locker room, right. I was confident after sitting there and talking to them what tomorrow will look like. Lord willing, we get it. And we're going to go fight with everything that we have to go be the best that we can be. And that's the approach. That's the mindset. And, you know, that's going to be today. That's going to be tomorrow. It's going to be, you know, as long as I get to be on this earth, right, I'm going to be, that's going to be my focus as a husband, as a father, as a coach, as a, you know, co-worker, all of it.
And that's how I'm going to live. And that's how I'm going to help guide and encourage those that I get to be around.
On Alabama winning the middle eight 20-0
I mean, it's about a 20-point difference. So it's a big part of it. And so, like, I mean, that's, we talk about it. You want to make sure that you, I mean, you can take each segment of the game. And yes, it's an important, you know, part of it. But like, when you're at any point, when it's 20 to nothing, there's going to be momentum.
We still had, even through that, got it to a two-point game, you know, there. We got it to a one-score game later. Like it's, you know, those responses are the things.
You don't want to have any stretch where you get outscored 20 to nothing. Whether it's in the very beginning of the game, you know, middle part of the game, you know, definitely not at the end. But, you know, you have to make sure that you stay focused on how you bounce and work through those.
Yeah, I mean, there's definitely the reasons we got stopped, had a turnover. You know, they had, you know, a couple of explosive plays, you know, explosive touchdowns, short drives with big plays. That's, it was an awful sequence of that game.
I saw our guys still responded to have a chance to be able to win it, you know, there in the fourth quarter. But it didn't make it, didn't make enough plays in that sequence to be able to finish the job.
On Samuel Singleton Jr.’s injury
Yeah, you know, I mean, obviously, we'll be able to get back to Tallahassee and see exactly where that, what that is.
You know, it was unfortunate. You know, Sam's been playing at a very high level. You know, very hopeful that it's nothing, you know, severe. But I don't have any of that information right now.
On why Alabama could run the ball in the second half
Yeah, I mean, there was, I mean, there was an element of it late where we got, you definitely got worn down, you know, just being on the field and how that did sequence. But, you know, there was a couple of times where we had just a self-inflicted mishap of alignment.
I mean, and, you know, the blitz you're supposed to be sending into it, you know, and you don't, and there's big plays, no edge, you know, shows up. You give credit to guys that, you know, they did a good job getting guys blocked. Running backs ran really hard.
Obviously, that was a, you know, the quarterback on the scramble plays a 60-yard gain that, you know, we got to be able to try to, we got to get them down, you know. And so those are all, you know, critical moments. I mean, I thought we defended the run really well early, as you mentioned, but it was, you know, unfortunate to see where it went to.
And they did some things, getting into bigger personnels, and you were able to, you know, capture a couple of edges that just, or we had a missed tackle, or, you know, like I said, a misalignment that you can't have.
On why FSU found some success throwing the ball
You know, I mean, I told Ashton throughout the week, you know, I mean, I wanted to see, you know, when he saw it, and put the ball in the air, give the guys opportunities. And, you know, I thought we did a better job. I mean, I know we still had some sacks that showed up.
I mean, but I thought we did a better job in protection, you know, trying to be able to give, you know, give him some time to keep his eyes down the field. I mean, we'll go back and, you know, there's still some huge opportunities that, you know, that one part of it broke down in the sequence. But, you know, we were able to hit some big plays.
And, you know, guys, you know, they'll continue to grow, continue to get better. You know, I mean, he's proud of Ashton for the work that he puts in, and he's proud of the guys in the receiving core, O-line, you know, and, you know, backs, just all those guys, how they were, you know, working to try to get the job done.
On what Ashton Daniels saw on the interceptions
Yeah, I mean, you know, there was, you know, Jayvan, one of them, he just kind of missed the throw there, trying to get the ball over top to Javen.
You've got a little bit of pressure as he worked up and started going, and as he's going to scramble, he saw Jayvan over top and just, you know, trying to get it over the top, didn't, you know. And, you know, there were some, you know, they did a good job trying to mix some of the coverages, you know, and just a little bit of hesitation from a flash or a body or, you know, somebody that was working in front of him. But, you know, he's seeing the field well, but there's, you know, definitely certainly some tough plays that, you know, we can continue to grow from.
On what steps the team needs to take to win the close games
Yeah, I mean, we got to do a better job, you know, managing ourselves. I mean, that's, you know, I think at both games, we've had opportunities. And, you know, just playing good people, like they take advantage of the slightest of mistakes.
And if you're supposed to be here, if your depth's supposed to be here, if you're, you know, your alignment's supposed to be, you're supposed to be taking away a certain leverage, and you don't, like you're going to get exposed. And those are things that we have to be better at. And it is, you know, when you start, you know, working through that in the course of the game, you know, I saw some really good, I mean, that's why I'm really encouraged with what I see from this team, by the way that they, some of those response drives were huge.
And, you know, the way that, you know, seeing the defense early in the game, the way they were, you know, feeding off of each other and being able to play. But then, you know, when a couple of negatives, you know, happened, it was just, you know, we got looser in some of the, you know, in some of our fits. We got looser in some of our, in defining what we're taking away, having an edge, you know, and that's what will get you beat throughout the course of a four-quarter game.
And, you know, at the end of the day, you know, I think this team is growing. I think that, you know, we'll see the best version of them as they continue to grow. But, you know, unfortunately, results have not been good enough.
You know, you lose two games that I believe we're capable of winning both. And so, you know, obviously, you're very disappointed.
On what they could have done differently offensively at the end of the first half, been less aggressive
Yeah, I mean, you know, the third down, I mean, you know, you get, that was, that was one of those that you think through it. I mean, and, you know, I think we had a, I think we might have had a false start penalty on that, that even, you know, took us back a little bit more, you know, but trying to find that balance.
I mean, we're, I think we had four straight, you know, drives of, you know, or three or four straight drives of being very successful. And even in the last drive, we got the ball back for 20 seconds and we had an explosive play to get down to have a chance, you know, to be able to get the ball to the end zone. So, I mean, you know, that's one of those, you know, you go back and you reflect on all of it.
And, you know, it would have been better not to give the ball and then, you know, two plays or whatever it was and they scored. Yes, that would have been much better not to avoid that. But, you know, ultimately, it's, you know, you got to work through the results and you got to rise up and, you know, coach better, play better, you know, and be, you know, be all that we can in those moments.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: What FSU head coach Mike Norvell said after Alabama loss
