Florida State University
Football Media Conference
Monday, October 30, 2023
Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Coach Mike Norvell
Press Conference
MIKE NORVELL: Appreciate you being here. Obviously
just wrapping up Saturday’s game, going back and
watching the film of the game and the way that we
performed, I was really proud of the team. I know I said I
was proud of them after the game. That was really
mindset, approach, but being able to go back and watch
the way we played, I thought it was fast, it was physical.
You know, we had our mistakes that showed up and
obviously things to improve upon, but I was proud of the
way that our guys played. Told them that yesterday. You
saw a passion and intensity throughout the course of the
game. Defensively we had about three plays that every
one of them count, but really three plays that kind of stood
out where we have to be better. We had one bust in
coverage that allowed a seven cut. They did a nice job on
another route concept that allowed an explosive play. And
then obviously we had the misfit in a run game that we just
have to be better at, and gave up a big run.
But I was really pleased with the way our guys battled. We
had too many penalties in the course of the game. Some
things are technique that we can be better at; other things
are — we just continue to push to control all the things that
we can control, but when you have nine penalties, it’s
obviously too many. In close games, it definitely can cost
us. It hurt us in a few drives defensively and offensively
with what we were trying to do.
I thought our third down defense and third down offense
was extraordinary. Our defense was aggressive
throughout. Impacted the quarterback. Officially how
many, six sacks? Okay, we’re at six sacks, which was
great.
Great to see that type of impact that we were a able to
make. I think it was ten TFLs, which was an outstanding
performance and plenty of explosive plays that were made.
I thought our defensive back field did a great job in
coverage. Like I mentioned we had the one bust, but they
were in position, really forced the quarterback to have to
hold the ball a few times, which allowed the rush to get
home.
I mean, it was just a really, really impressive effort.
Offensively a lot of explosives. It was great to see. They
pressured as much as they had pressured throughout the
course of the year. I thought we handled that. They did
some good things in their run game. I mean, still coming
out of that game, I know I complimented their safeties at
the beginning of the week, but the other two outstanding
safeties, they did a wonderful job making open field
tackles. They were involved in the run game. Really
added an extra hat into the box.
You know, opened up opportunities in the passing game,
and I thought Jordan did a really good job of taking what
they were giving us. We got a few one-on-one
opportunities that I know Keon was able to take advantage
of. Jaheim had a big play. Kyle Morelock with the big play.
Saw some the other receivers that were able to be
impactful.
I thought Jordan distributed the ball really well, had multiple
receivers that made an impact, and then we were — the
running game found its time and its moments, and I
thought we did a good job with it.
Obviously each game plan is gonna be different, and we
knew we wanted to try to attack and spread the field as
much as possible. You know, we anticipated that we
would see some pressure, and just to try to just disrupt the
run game. I thought we did a good job keeping a fair
balance with that, but it did create the opportunity for the
explosives.
I was proud of our guys for that. We did have the one ball
that got to the ground, and then there was — we had a
couple guys slip in situations on a couple of Jordan’s
passes that, one, Keon slipped down and was a near
interception, and then there was one thing technique-wise
on our route we got to be better at.
We did not turn the ball over in that game. We were 50%
on third downs. You know, unfortunately we did go into the
red zone once and not come away with points. You know,
was Ryan’s first miss of the season. Even on that, we had
a touchdown opportunity that we got to finish on in that
drive.
But I thought our guys responded well. Special teams
once again was a big benefit for us. I thought Deuce
Spann, once again showing the confidence that he’s
growing in the return game. I thought our kickoff coverage
was fantastic, just they way that the guys were working
down the field.
Our punt coverage, you know, I thought our guys covered
really well. We got some things we can be better at when
it comes to our punt, and then obviously another impactful
punt return. Proud of guys special teams-wise for how
they’re competing. It allowed us to go and have a
dominant performance on the road. This week, another
road trip at a place that is a challenge to play.
As you sit there and you just look historically, even this
year, you got to go and you got to play at a very high level.
This is a football team that is — it’s going to be tough. It’s
going to be physical. They’re going to be aggressive. I
think each week I get up and say the same things about
defenses that like to blitz and attack. We found another
one.
Coach Narduzzi does a wonderful job defensively and
being able to create challenges for opposing offenses and
what they do; historically has been such an impactful
defense.
I mean, this last game was really an anomaly for them with
the lack of TFLs or sacks in the game, but you still were
able to create a couple takeaways. They’re one of the top
defenses in the country in those statistical categories.
You know, we’ve seen them play at a very high level.
Offensively they went through a quarterback change
midway through the season, so you’re working to feel that
out. You seen them play at a high level. I know when they
played Louisville I think they scored 38 points against a
really good team.
As they’ve continued kind of growing and forming that
identity of who they are, we know they want to run the
football. That’s something in their DNA. That’s what they
want to be. They got some guys that can really run on the
outside and obviously the quarterback that’s shown
potential.
That’s something that we have got to, just like each week,
focus on us, making sure we’re doing our job, being
disciplines, and growing in the areas that we need to
continue to grow. Special teams will be a big part of this
game as we go up.
You know, it’s truly another week and another opportunity
where we have to grind away at it and go get better as a
football team in all the things we’re doing.
Excited about the opportunity that is ahead. Looking
forward to the week of preparation.
Q. If you take away scrambles and sacks, you guys
were throwing the ball much more than running it
compared to maybe last year. Is that something
coming into the year seeing your quarterback, skill
players, that was an idea it might be or is that just…
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, I mean, a little bit of both. I mean,
I like our offense. I like what we were able to do. I think
we got playmakers on the perimeter. Sometimes when
you sit there and you look at it, there were a couple of run
plays where there were throws because of what we got.
I mean, you know, we’re pretty close in a sense of if you
call a screen pass, what is that? What is that necessarily
going to be? Sometimes that’s an opportunity to get a
five-yard outside zone that might pop and turn into
something more, or you sit there and it’s just a balance of
where you’re trying to attack on the field.
Ultimately we’re going to do everything we can to score as
many points as we can to put ourselves in a position to win
a game, but I do like the personnel we have. I like the
potential we have in the run game.
Now, if people are going to stack the box, bring safeties in,
you have to be able to take advantage of one-on-one
opportunities only the perimeter.
Try to keep them off balance. Whenever you can soften
them up, it does open up things in the run game and allow
our backs to be able to have space. Whether it’s Jordan
being a part of that, whether in the read game, or whatever
that might be.
So it’s kind of both. Yes, we like the receivers that we
have. We’ve liked some of the matchups we’ve got. Then
on the flip side of it, some of it is what we’re almost being
forced a little bit in situations to do because of looks that
we’re getting.
Q. Some of the numbers for the pass game on defense
are really top notch nationally. It’s been a thing all
season, specifically last month. Seems like it keeps
getting better and better. What’s working so well
about your pass defense right now?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, I think it’s a combination of all
three levels. You know, early in the year we had some
communication things. We had some technique things that
we had to clean up. I think our guys have really spent a lot
of time, Coach Fuller, Coach, Surtain, Coach Shannon,
because it really good work at all levels of how you’re trying
to defend and cover different concepts or routes, whether
it’s man or zone.
I think those guys have done a really good job building
their confidence of what we want to do, and then whether
it’s man or zone, our guys are competing at a high level. I
think we had six pass breakups the other day. Our corners
are playing physical. Safeties doing a good job in
coverage.
You know, obviously when you have a pass rush and can
put pressure on a quarterback, that’s going to definitely
help, and I think our guys are, in all three phases,
embracing what that needs to be and what that looks like.
So I’m really pleased with the growth we’ve seen, but I
think there is still more steps that we can take as we
continue to get better.
Q. Coach, you had another opening drive score. Can
you take me through the preparation of writing the
script through the week and why the opening drives
have been so successful throughout the year?
MIKE NORVELL: We actually don’t start our script until
really Thursday. We’ll do a Thursday, Friday look at it;
sometimes it’ll change. It’s something I’ve done throughout
my career of being an offensive coach. Just I like to have
a sequence. I like to have a thought.
Sometimes, like I said, it could change and there, are
plenty of times we’ll go on it and, hey, you might have
however many plays in your thought process, but if you
see something early you go to it early.
Other things, you might tell a story. Might be setting up
things for later on down in the game. That’s one of the fun
parts. As an offensive staff everybody plays a part in that.
So we have our routine of how that comes about, and just
fortunate to have good players that can execute at a high
level. As we go in we try to put them in the best position to
have an early productive start. They’ve done a really nice
job of executing that.
Q. On the wide receiver depth chart, guys expected
back this week, how do you feel about that room
coming about and getting a few of those guys back?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, we’ll see where it goes throughout
the week. Obviously last week being down three really
good players, you know, Johnny and Destyn have both
been starters throughout the course of the year. Hykeem
has probably ascended as much as any player, but having
those three guys out gave new opportunities.
One of my favorite plays in the game was Kentron’s early
first drive, one-on-one coverage. Great throw by Jordan,
great route. Having an explosive play there on the first
drive was big.
Unfortunately the other one was called back due to a
penalty. I thought that was big for him. To be able to see
Ja’Khi, we talked about him. Ja’Khi has made so many
great plays here throughout his first few years coming off
the injury, just working to get back. Hit a big post route in
the middle of the field that got tripped up, or I think he
would’ve scored on that. But it was good to see him get
into that rhythm and obviously have some production there.
But we’re excited about the guys that have stepped up.
Darion had a catch later in the game. The tight ends, the
mix of our personnel of what we’re able to do has really
been good.
But ultimately if you get those guys back, just helps with
depth, being able to keep guys fresh, being able to utilize
all the skills. I think as we’re looking into this week, as it
gets a little bit further down we’ll have a better clue of the
availability. I know Johnny was out yesterday and got a
chance to get some practice in. We’ll see what that looks
likes as his week progresses.
I know Destyn and Hykeem are both going through their
process, and you’ll see what that looks like as we get to
Tuesday.
Q. During your time as a head coach, typically your
teams have gotten better as the season’s gone on. Is
there any methodology or reason for this specifically?
MIKE NORVELL: I mean, yes. You know, it’s about the
work. It’s about the — we go Coach Storms and myself,
Jackson Schafer, sports science, we sit down in the
off-season and try to go through every element of how we
practice, how we structure things, what is that going to look
like as the season goes on.
But it truly is about mindset, improvement, technique,
fundamentals, continuing to build upon the things that allow
you to get better as the season progresses. Still comes
down reps, and we want to be as confident in what we’re
doing and what we’re facing and seeing.
That’s one of the things that is good, is that early in the
season there was some ugly looking plays, whether it’s
coverage or whether it’s an offense-defensive play that —
you get to learn through those experiences. If you miss out
on those opportunities, then you get stuck kind of where
you were.
But our guys, they do a great job in taking ownership to the
mistakes that are made, but then working to the correction
and the application of how to improve that as we continued
to move down the season.
That’s something that we’ve held true to over the years,
and when you get to November, that’s where you want to
be playing your best ball. As it continues to go on, you
want to continue to grow from there.
Our guys, they put in an awful a lot of work. They’re
trained extremely well. We lift hard throughout the course
of the season so we’re stronger at the end than we were at
the beginning. I think that’s something that I know I
mentioned these last few weeks of practice, you see it in
explosive efforts. Speed, the physicality.
I mean, Trey Benson gets in the open field and he’s really
fast here. Deuce Spann, you’ve seen some of these guys.
Keon. When you get out there and you run, I thought
Kalen DeLoach on the one play, you look at Kalen
DeLoach and Conrad Hussey on the run that broke, these
guys were flying to just give us another snap. That that’s
something that’s encouraging to see, that guys are getting
better as the year is going on because of the way they
train.
Yeah, it’s always about the work.
Q. You put a big emphasis on special teams and in the
return game since you’ve been here and throughout
your career. Now seems like, I don’t know, can it
become contagious when the team sees what good
returns can do and how important they are for just the
course of the game?
MIKE NORVELL: Absolutely. It all comes down to buy-in
and ownership. That’s where even in the game Saturday
there was a punt return where, I mean, we were ten guys
on point and just a little technique or fundamental that
could have been better, I think we would’ve had a chance
to score another one.
You know, but you sit there, and what I love — we had a
special teams meeting yesterday coming out of the game,
and you sit there and when we’re in our special teams
meeting, the intent of our players, I mean, some of our best
players, it’s awesome.
We had I think 41 to 16 in the game and we are out there,
we run out and we were forced to punt. Renardo Green is
out there as one of our gunners. I mean, Renardo Green,
Jarrian Jones, Ja’Khi Douglas, Lawrance Toafili, those are
our gunners on punt. To see them — Azareye’h Thomas
has done a really nice job. I mean, 41 to 16, Renardo is
jumping out there to go cover a punt. That gets me excited
as a head coach, because you see buy-in and ownership
of guys wanting to be better.
Jarrian Jones has been awesome in special teams this
week. Ja’Khi Douglas, remarkable. You see those guys,
and then in the return game, I mean, it’s been each week
you see the growth, the development, guys that are buying
in on it. Our coverage units on kickoff, that’s where like
you see the fundamentals and the things that you work and
invest so much time on. When that shows up on film you
know they’re listening and applying and it matters to them.
So we’re not a finished product when it comes to that, but
you see buy-in and so, yes, the confidence does show up,
but it’s not just in the run game. It’s in all units that we
know — as we saw in the Virginia Tech game. We were
able to respond from it, but, man, that was a big hit.
But what do we do to improve from there? I think the last
couple weeks, our guys have done a remarkable job.
Yeah, we learn from all those experiences but definitely
builds confidence.
Q. Earlier you addressed the improvements in the
secondary. Statistically it’s obvious. At the same
time, your defensive front, they’re statistically not so
good as you would think they might be. Is that
because you’re playing with a lighter box, or —
MIKE NORVELL: In what regards? Are you saying like
pure…
Q. Statistically.
MIKE NORVELL: So sacks?
Q. No, rush defense. Defense against the run.
MIKE NORVELL: When you look at it, we gave up a
51-yard run, which was not something that you want to
have. But I think our guys have played well up front, and
for us, you look at — there were some times early in the
season, like we know we played Boston College and they
had over 200 yards on third and long situations.
That was not good.
Some of those were quarterbacks draws, counter — things
that were huge and impactful in that game, and there has
been times where we played I guess four of the Top 5
rushing quarterbacks early in the season that really gave
some challenges, and we faced some good running teams
and all those things show up.
When you look at yards per play, per rush, we’re getting
better as the season is going on. Yes, we don’t want to
give up any explosive plays in the run game. We want
people to earn everything they get. I think we’re growing in
that, and our guys are continuing to work hard to improve
in all those areas.
Q. On the plays for — I guess there were two of them —
one with Byron Turner and DJ Lundy that were
penalized. Both had positive stops for you guys.
What can you teach them to make sure those positives
don’t become negatives?
MIKE NORVELL: You know, we addressed it as a team.
We can play with lower hands. That’s a focus. I mean,
Byron, he gets the shoulder first, but the hand does get
high. So you give an official to make a judgment call.
I mean…
What I feel about the call is what I feel about the call.
Now, with DJ’s, we want to see knock-back. We want to
see guys — because if you don’t, that’s going to work the
other way. Early in the game, we hit a running back, we
stop, and momentum stopped. If you don’t take him to the
ground and they keep moving forward, they’re going to
continue to allow the play to play. Which is fine. It’s great.
Now, in DJ’s you see a push to the ground. They called
that excessive, so learn from it. Let’s not be excessive.
We got to finish plays. When the whistle blows, stop.
But we got to stop plays. That’s the hardest balance of
what you do being a defender, is sideline tackles. I think
we’ve done a much better job when people get to the
sideline of not having that extra step, but you see a lot of
athletic players that push to the sideline, cut vertical.
If you assume it, well, it can hurt you. So make sure we’re
doing everything to play the game within the rules and to
be smart, to be safe with it.
But it’s just a lot of balance. I mean, it was a conversation I
had with the sliding quarterback. You know, how many
times this year have we seen Jordan run and slide down
giving himself up, losing yards, and then somebody hits
him. Well, what are we sliding for?
It’s like that’s where we’ve got to be wise in those decisions
we have to continue to teach tight hands, low hands, all
those things, control what we can control.
But it’s tough when a lot of these judgment calls — you
know, I don’t envy the officials for having to make them, but
we can control and be better in different ways. That’s what
we’re trying to teach.
Q. Coach, you were able to pull the starters midway
fourth quarter. I know it wasn’t a lot of time but how
important is it to get guys rest at this point in the year?
MIKE NORVELL: You said rest?
Q. Yeah, just off the field so you can start preparing.
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, the rest part I’m not so much — I
love the fact we are able to get more guys in the game.
Our guys are prepared to play however many snaps they
need to play.
I think they’re going to get better from all of them, but when
you get a chance to go and see younger guys get more
reps, get extended opportunities, to see them in the
moment, it’s just all — it’s so valuable for their growth and
development, because that’s what is really and what you
see.
I love seeing Tate be able to go out there, and I mean, he
fired an unbelievable pass to Darion right on rhythm, right
on time, in the moment. You work it in practice, but now
he’s out in on the stage.
I think that’s one of the things I’ve been really pleased with.
We’ve had opportunities to get Tate in the game, and, I
mean, I don’t even know what his quarterback rating is but
it’s got to be pretty high. He’s performing.
And you can say, all right he had a good practice today,
but when you put him in the game you got to go execute it.
He had some things he has to be better at in that game.
Those are all teachable moments. Whether it’s Jalen early,
young man I think has an incredible future. At the end of
one the plays, guys are laying on top of our running back
and he goes and pulls one of the guys off. That’s a
penalty.
So, I mean, have we talked about it? Yes. But in the
moment, right, was that something that he registered in his
mind? It wasn’t malicious, but it is something that showed
up that if he doesn’t get that rep. What if that is a year from
now, two years from now in a critical moment? He’s going
to remember. We made sure he remembered that
experience.
And so those are the great things about getting younger
guys opportunities to play.
Q. Not accusing any other teams of doing this
intentionally, but seems like some other defensive
players, sometimes they really jog slowly out onto the
field for substitutions. Does that affect you guys?
And then also, have you guys decided intentionally to
not do that?
MIKE NORVELL: Well, I mean, so — this is where can —
what can we control? We control when we sub players. If
we sub somebody late, we put ourselves in position for an
posing team to sub.
But, now, Wake Forest in the game, on the last — on the
field goal, you know, we had a player that got injured and
we ended up getting an additional drive, utilizing timeouts,
and one of our guys on field goal went in to the locker room
early, so we were late to get somebody on the field.
That’s where we can be better. We can’t do that. And so
and then obviously on offense, we have a late sub, you
know, but it does need to be done in a timely fashion.
And so if teams are really slow to sub and it’s intentional
that they’re delaying the game they’ll get a delay of game
penalty. It’s things we bring up with officials. They have
every right to substitute. If somebody does it against us we
have every right.
If you remember a year ago, we got penalized for a delay
of game, and once that ball is snapped you either have 12
guys on the field, it all counts. So if one guy is running off
and somebody gets a touchdown, that’s a free play for
them.
That’s the one thing I asked the officials, is consistency of
understanding whether it’s — they’re trying to delay the
game or are they substituting to play. But we have got to
be smart in making sure we’re not subbing too late in the
play clock because you put yourself in jeopardy.
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