Florida State University
Football Media Conference
Monday, September 16, 2024
Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Coach Mike Norvell
Press Conference
MIKE NORVELL: I appreciate you all being here.
Obviously, jumping into a new week, new opportunity, you
know, coming off the game Saturday. Disappointing
outcome. Disappointing beginning to our season.
Obviously we’re not playing to the level that I believe we’re
capable of. There were some positives that did come of
the game. I did think there were some improvements that
are showing up.
I thought defensively the interior of our defensive front
definitely played at a higher level, a lot more production. I
thought you saw flashes there from the edge. You saw
some young players that were able to, you know, get
opportunity and I thought did a good job.
I thought Justin Cryer did some really good things there in
the course of the game. K.J. Kirkland, getting his first start.
I thought he did a nice job. Some things that he’ll get to
continue and improve upon, but it was a great experience
from him. We were better in stopping the run. Still some
things in third down situations that we can continue to
improve, but I did think there were some positives.
You saw the defense get put in some tough situations
where we had three turnovers in the first half. They were
able to hold firm and obviously respond in a good fashion
there.
Offensively it was obviously not the type of game that we
needed. Not the type of game that we expected. We’ve
got to continue to push and get better. We’ve got to be
able to find rhythm. We’ve got to be able to be able to
sustain drives on third downs. It’s really been poor
execution and production in that situation. Too many third
down and long situations that we found ourselves in.
It was just a variety of different issues, and it takes 11 guys
going out there playing as one. Everybody has a job.
Everybody has a responsibility. I would love to say it was
just this one situation or this one position, but we have to
be better.
When you sit there and go through practice and
preparation and you’re not seeing the mistakes that are
showing up there on game day, for whatever the reason,
whether it’s a route depth that we’re emphasizing or a
certain technique or fundamental or a certain call there in
protection. You make it through the week, and it’s pretty
clean with very similar looks of what we get on game day,
but in the moment we’ve got to be able to go out there and
perform and execute.
Like I said, it’s every single person. Myself, all of our
coaches, our players, we all have to get better. I can tell
you that there’s a lot of work that’s going into that
improvement, but we’ve got to see it show up on game day
with everybody involved. I think our team, they understand
the expectation of what it’s supposed to look like.
Obviously our coaching staff understands the standard
we’ve got to continue to push to.
I thought our guys came back yesterday, and they did go to
work. I’ve challenged them that we have to be different this
week. We’ve got to continue the values, the objectives, the
standard of how we’re operating, but we’ve got to make
sure that that investment is even more. We’ve got to
continue to reflect on what we’re doing throughout the
course of the week that’s going to allow us to be better on
game day. We need to see that improvement.
We’re playing a Cal team; they’re undefeated up to this
point of the season. They’ve been on the road. They won.
They beat an SEC opponent on the road. This is a team
that defensively, they play fast, they are aggressive in how
they attack. You can tell they’re very well-coached.
Offensively they’ve got a very versatile attack in the run
game and a quarterback that’s been really efficient in being
able to make a lot of different throws.
Obviously they’re playing at a high level here at the early
part of the season. As we go into this week, we need to
see that step. We need to see that improvement, and I’m
definitely looking forward to how our guys approach the
preparation and are excited for the opportunity that we
have here this week.
Q. You guys obviously didn’t have your tackles — your
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starting tackles on Saturday. Any update on the
possibility of getting those guys back? Then, also,
just overall the offensive line struggles. Is it more
execution, technique? What are you seeing?
MIKE NORVELL: You know, so with the first question with
the tackles, promising that we could get one if not both —
and I say both. Obviously JB, we’ll see how that’s going to
progress through the week. Darius, that was something
that happened in pregame. So kind of unexpected. We’ll
see where that goes as the week kind of progresses.
But I think when you got into the game there the other day
and even here in the early part of the season, you know,
there’s been a couple of different issues. It’s nothing that —
like I said earlier, it’s not just saying, oh, this is the one
point or this is the one time. There were a couple of
communication issues there with a couple of variety of
looks.
We got a lot of pressure and things trying to take away the
run game there in certain looks on Saturday, and then
there were a few times where we just, whether it was a
miscommunication, misidentification, you know, across the
board where it just wasn’t as clean as it needed to be.
When it comes to protection, I mean, that’s everybody
involved. When it comes to run game, obviously you
incorporate tight ends, running backs, tracks, all those kind
of things. We’ve got to be better.
I know that it’s a frustrating thing to sit there and look at,
and it’s frustrating for everybody involved, for those guys
that are out there playing. I mean, they want more. They
want to be better. They’re working hard at it. But it’s some
of those little things that we have to improve on and just
the consistency of it.
We’re continuing to work as coaches to help put those
guys in the best position so we can go out there and play
fast and be able to utilize the techniques, fundamentals,
and showcase the skills that these guys have.
Q. Do you have an update on Shyheim Brown’s
availability and Jalen Brown and Cam Riley as well?
MIKE NORVELL: Expecting Shyheim to be available this
week. When it comes to Cam and Jalen, we’ll see how
they progress throughout the course of the week. Both
those guys went down there pretty early in the game, and
that was a game where we had a lot of guys that had to
step up due to different injuries.
Obviously that experience is invaluable for those guys
when you sit there and look — or it’s valuable for them to be
able to go out there and be able to get those reps and to
build their confidence and what they can do and also to
see some areas where they’ve got to be able to improve.
We’ll see how those guys progress as the week goes on.
Q. You’ve talked a few times recently about seeing
success in practice not translate to game days yet for
this team. I guess in your time as a coach, a head
coach, coordinator, position coach, have you seen an
extended stretch like this where you’ve seen that
happen? I’m sure it’s not a thing where there’s one fix
for every time that happens, but what have you seen
fix similar issues before?
MIKE NORVELL: There’s been times — and whatever the
issue is, I mean, whether it’s a confidence issue at times,
whether it’s guys just understanding issue. Sometimes you
see some young players, just some of the finer details.
Those things will show up.
It’s really you are working yourself through and finding the
success. That’s something that we need. We need best
players to go be best players. Guys that have, you know,
high ability and high potential need to go live up to it.
Coaches need to make sure that we’re putting them in the
best position to be able to get out of the challenging
situations or difficult experiences. We’ve got to help pour
in to build up and try to create some of those successful
moments.
We’re really kind of all in on that, but you know, it’s
challenging. When you don’t have success or it’s not going
how you want it to go, whether it’s starting to try to do too
much, starting to get tight in those moments, you’re not
playing fast and free. So we’ve got to get ourselves
through that, obviously, offensively. I really have a lot of
confidence in these guys and the guys in what they can do.
I’m believing that that is ahead, and we’re going to continue
to work hard every day to make sure that shows up.
Q. After the game on Saturday, you said that you are
going to be evaluating all aspects of the team. Do you
expect to make any personnel changes this week, or
will you be going with the same rotations you used on
Saturday?
MIKE NORVELL: We’ll continue to see what this week
shows. There is an expectation of guys to go out there and
perform and respond and to improve and get better. I’m
going to work my butt off to make sure that we do
everything in our power to win this game. That’s what the
job is, and that’s what we’re going to work towards.
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I think you saw guys that get opportunities. You see guys
that what they do with it. You’re going to see what guys do
in practice and how they show that they are ready and
prepared to go out there and make an impact. Then we’ll
be able to go from there.
Q. How would you evaluate perimeter blocking and
when there are miscues —
MIKE NORVELL: It was bad. It was awful. There’s no
easy way to put that. There are times that you stop the film
and you see one-third of the field with — we have as many
or more than what they have, and you get no production.
That sucks.
It was a challenge. That was something that was issued.
We work really hard and we’ve had a really good standard
of how we’ve executed in that moment — in those moments
in the past, but that was awful. Kind of directed my
response to that.
Q. Seeing how DJ performed in the second half, do
you feel like he kind of took another step forward?
MIKE NORVELL: You know, looking at DJ, obviously
there’s been — it’s been a challenging start for everybody.
There are 11 guys that — it takes 11, and we all have a job.
We all have our responsibility.
I think when you look at the game, there were some things
that DJ did really well in putting guys in a position and
trying to give opportunities. There was also a few times
that we had some missed opportunities on his part and in
our overall execution.
I am pleased with the way he is preparing and the things
he is doing. You see the moments. He has given us a
chance. He is giving us an opportunity to have big plays.
I thought there was a lot of the reads and things he needed
to do and the position that he needed to put the ball that
was positive. Like I said, there was a few times that we’ve
got to be better.
I’m believing that we’re going to see growth from every
position that we have. We’re going to see continued
competition at that, but I know what he is putting in, and I
see what he has seen.
Obviously we all have to be more consistent about the
execution of that and making sure that for this offense we
get the spark that’s necessary to go and be what I believe
we can be.
Q. In some situations you talked about the perimeter
blocking. You do have some new players, but you also
have some of those guys that were experienced
players. It’s not a lack of understanding. What
responses do you get from guys?
MIKE NORVELL: That’s where — guys that we’ve seen
perform, guys that we know capabilities and I know desires
too. I mean, we’ve got a team — this is not a team that’s
just throwing their hands up and, “Oh.” They’re working. I
see it in their eyes. I’ve been a part of teams where you
have the highest of high moments, and you have some of
the lowest of low moments. We’ve been a part of that.
I’ve been a part of it through my coaching career. The
eyes will usually lead you to what’s in their heart. When
you see the approach, the work, the things that they’re
trying to do, it’s not from a lack of desire, and I don’t
believe it’s from a lack of ability.
In those moments that’s where we’re working to see a
disconnect — working to fix the disconnect of execution, of
obviously making the play in the moment. That’s one of
the things that is frustrating and it gets frustrating for
players, it’s frustrating for coaches, all of us, because I
know what guys are capable of.
If I hadn’t seen it, if it wasn’t something that we’ve been
able to do, then that would be something else. But, you
know, we just have to be able to go out there and cut it
loose and play and trust your techniques, trust your
fundamentals.
If we’re sitting there, and if it’s a finer detail, if it’s,
obviously, one of those specific things, we have to trust
that and go apply it. You have to build confidence through
that, through the work that we have throughout the course
of the week, and we have to build confidence of that for
what we’re doing out there in the course of the game.
That’s where I have confidence in what this is going to be.
I don’t need a pep talk. I know where this is going to go. I
know what it’s going to be. It’s just we’ve got to go out
there and get it done. Like I said, I’ve got to help create
that, that confidence, and we’re going to continue to push
the way we push in practice. We’re going to continue to
prepare, but we all have to be better.
That’s what I have challenged our players with. What is
your week looking like? What is it leading up to the game?
What are you allowing in? That’s one of the things we’ve
talked about bouncing back this week.
What are you putting in? It’s how much film study, how
much extra are you doing on your own? What are the
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things that you’re doing to prepare yourself so in the
moment you’re not thinking too much and you’re not trying
— because we have really tried to simplify even more
things just to see guys play fast, but some of the day-one
basics that when you show up and you see hesitation or a
mistake shows up, those are the things that I know we’re
better.
We’ve got to go be better. For coaches, everybody
involved, just helping guys take that step to where we can
go out there and play to the level we’re capable of.
Q. How did you evaluate the defensive line’s
performance against Memphis on Saturday? It looked
like there were some improvements. Especially how
did you evaluate Joshua Farmer’s performance?
MIKE NORVELL: Josh was one of the guys, as I said in
opening, I thought that was a step forward. I thought you
saw Josh — obviously Josh missed all spring. He had
some limitations there in fall camp, but you’re starting to
see the strike, the explosiveness, some of the things that
we’re accustomed to seeing from him.
I thought you felt that impact. I thought Darrell did some
good things. You saw that interior really being able to
work. I thought that guys on the edge, there were some
flash plays and some good moments. I think we can still
have more there that can show up. I thought there were
some real quality plays, quality steps that we’re going to be
able to build upon there from Saturday.
Q. Obviously when you have had so much success as
a play caller and just an offensive coach in general
going back to Arizona State and what you did at
Memphis and what you have done here, how much
does the confidence in your own self waver at all when
you have a start like this, or do you go back to all the
success you’ve had in the past and say, We’ll get
through this? I doubt you’ve ever had a start quite like
this offensively where it’s been so bad for three
games, but you’ve also had so much success in your
career. How do you weigh that?
MIKE NORVELL: Every team is unique to itself. That’s the
challenge to every coach is — I can tell you, I haven’t been
good enough. I have told the players it’s my job when we
step on the field for them to go out there and be able to
showcase who they are, what they are, the identity of
offense, the identity of defense, special teams. That has to
show up.
Right now we’ve had an offense that in these first couple of
games, we haven’t had that identity. That goes back to
me. Now, my confidence — I am ultimately confident in
ability, of what I see, what I believe we can do and helping
put guys in a better position. My confidence is not
wavering when it comes to that, but it’s still about the
execution.
That’s where I can firmly stand in front of our players and
say, look, I will be better. It’s through the work. It’s through
making sure that the things that we see, that we’re trying to
do, that’s got to — we’ve got to be able to translate that.
We’re all in this thing together, but for however it sounds, I
mean, I know my capabilities as well. I’m very confident in
what that will be.
Q. Coach, talk about having Alex Atkins back, having
him back for the Cal game coming up.
MIKE NORVELL: Alex, he is so important to this football
team. It’s been unfortunate, the circumstance we’ve had
the last three games. We’re grateful for his presence.
Obviously a great coach. What he brings there every day,
but especially on game day, that presence, another set of
eyes that see things as the game is progressing and
evolving. Obviously just he is a leader of our offense too. I
mean, in that role he has a big stamp on all things that we
do.
Yes, I’m over there. I do call the plays, but I mean, he is
such a strong presence when it comes to all things that
we’re doing. Definitely glad about having him back and I
think it’s going to be, obviously, a benefit for all of us
having him back on the sideline.
Q. You talked about the special teams being an
identity unit for your team. Can you just talk about the
fumble and the offside call and kind of how
disappointing that was for you to watch?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, I thought the offside call was
awful because the ball moved. The guy is keying the ball,
and for whatever that is, it’s a redshirt freshman that’s
keying the football. The ball goes up like it’s about to snap,
so he steps. I’m upset about that call because I thought it
was a terrible call.
For the kid, he is doing exactly what I told him to do: You
see the ball move; you stay, you go. That play went from
fourth and eight, we’re going to get the ball back, to fourth
and three. They went for it, they converted, they did a
good job on their part of it.
The fumble on the punt return, you know, that’s one of
those situations we’ve got a very talented young freshman
that is doing what we asked of him. He is communicating
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the fair catch. You saw one of our players heard it. The
other one did not.
He gets blocked into it. The ball hits, and obviously an
unfortunate play that shows up. It’s something that you
work, you rep. It’s a daily focus for us, but it’s something
that we could continue to grow on and making sure that all
guys are getting that communication in those situations.
Yeah, that was just an unfortunate play in a big moment.
Q. We haven’t been around Luke as much, but we’ve
been around Brock definitely, and we saw him kind of
embrace the opportunity last year. When things aren’t
working on the offense, do you have to manage? I’m
sure their feelings are, Hey, we could do something,
we could help this team if we get out there. Do you
have to manage that, or is it just life and you have to
deal with it?
MIKE NORVELL: No, it’s all things. I want that. Every
player that’s not on the field, I hope they have — I hope
they see themselves as the X factor of what’s going to be
the difference in a spark, in a change, and anything that
could happen because you want that type of confidence.
My challenge to everybody on this team, you continue to
prepare for your moment. There on Saturday Jaylen Early
was not expecting to start the game. That was not an
expectation, but in pregame he became the starter.
His preparation, all the things that he did, what went into
that. You never know when your moment is going to be
thrust upon you. Are you ready for it? Are you showing it
in practice? Are you putting yourself in that position that
continues to fight for those opportunities and those reps?
Ultimately that’s where I love what I’m seeing from Brock.
I said it after the game. I have a lot of confidence in that
quarterback room, and those guys of what they’re doing
and how they’re continuing to push. It’s going to be a daily
push from all of them to go show where they are and,
obviously, if the opportunity presents itself, what it’s going
to look like.
I’m definitely pleased with them in that. I think they both
have that edge of what they can do and what it can look
like.
Q. You mentioned trying to create a spark on offense.
I know obviously for the offense to be good it’s a
matter of doing it consistently the right way. Is there a
way to try to create a spark in a short-term window
doing something different, i.e., wildcat in the past,
things like that?
MIKE NORVELL: I mean, there are certain things that you
look for because you have to be able to say, well, why?
Why this? You can always have a thought or a suggestion,
but it’s got to be able to point to you have to be able to
answer that question of why. How is this putting us in a
better position to be successful?
If you are getting cover zero looks and everybody is down
and pinching all gaps, sometimes wildcat good, bad,
indifferent. Sometimes going into empty and spreading
them out, you know, why are we doing that? What is the
benefit that we’re going to see from trying to create a
different spark?
I’m not the biggest trick play person in the world, but, you
know, a couple of weeks back, I mean, there was an
opportunity. We saw one that we saw a look that we liked,
and we tried to take advantage of it. It did provide a spark.
We had one of the vertical shots there on a P and 10 the
other day. It provided a spark. We definitely are looking
for all opportunities to provide sparks for this team.
Sometimes it might be play. It might be concept. It might
be personnel. Whatever that’s got to be, we are going to
continue to evaluate that and look at it, but I think more
than anything else — because it’s real easy to say, well,
change this. Yes. Or do this.
But if you can’t answer the why, right, if it’s not something
that is where you see it’s going to be better, it’s going to
give you that competitive advantage or it’s going to give
you this, then those are things that now you’re just throwing
it up and grab bagging at things. We spent a lot of time
working, practicing, preparing trying to put our guys in the
best position from what we’re going to ask them to do.
We’ve got to do a better job of doing that and of the
execution of it when it comes to game day.
Like I said Saturday, we’re evaluating all things to be
better. We’re going to continue to do that in all aspects of
our presentation. We’re going to continue to develop the
personnel and go out there and play better.
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