Florida State University
Football Media Conference
Saturday, September 21, 2024
Tallahassee, Florida, USA
Coach Mike Norvell
Press Conference
Florida State 14, California 9
MIKE NORVELL: All right, just first off, just so proud of our
team. You know, we needed — every part of what that
game showed, what that game had in it, we needed to
experience.
It’s been a tough first three weeks of the season. You
know, just disappointed in the beginning.
Going into this week, you know, you say challenge, you
say opportunity. You know, we talked about bouncing
back. You know, we’re in control of that. Not who we’re
playing, not where we’re playing, not any of those things.
It’s about us and just can the choice we get to make on
what we want it to be, what we want it to look like. I will
say that I was so proud of our team for how they
approached the work this week in practice. There was
energy. There was competitiveness. Guys were really
pushing each other.
I thought that showed up today. You know, I’m not sitting
here saying we haven’t worked up until this point. When
you face disappointing outcomes, there is a lot of things
around you that can get in your mind and that you might
want to pull back, might want to just hold.
But these guys, they didn’t get distracted. They continued
to believe, continued to push. I thought the week of
practice showed up big today in just how we were able to
respond throughout the course of the game.
This was a tough game. This Cal team, obviously they
have got some talented guys, some playmakers on both
sides of the ball.
Everything had to be hard-earned tonight. Our guys, I
thought they definitely played with a relentless spirit. I
thought they played with just great effort and a lot of
physicality. A lot of hits on both sides of the ball.
But at the end of the day we made the plays that were
necessary to be able to go get that win.
For the defense coming up big with the stops, I mean, you
look this week we spent extra time in the red zone and
focusing on our red zone work competitively.
I mean, that showed up big. Our defense being able to
keep them out of the end zone. I think there were two of
five total in the red zone. You know, this was really just a
special performance. Very impactful.
I thought our defensive line played are very well. Saw
some young guys that are continuing to get in. Edwin
Joseph with the interception; sack there late was big.
I just like the growth that I’m seeing. You know, obviously
it’s one game, but we needed this game. We needed to be
able to find a way when everything wasn’t all all right. But
find a way to be able to go win.
Big touchdown catch by Ja’Khi there late in the game to
give us the lead. And then just guys fought their tails off to
make sure we put the our stamp on it there to finish it at
the end.
Got to give a shoutout to our crowd. I mean, it was
remarkable. The energy throughout the game from the
very beginning to the very end, you just felt their presence.
I don’t know how many false start penalties Cal had, but
that directly goes to our fan base.
It was loud down there. You could feel it. It was definitely
a wonderful environment to be able to be a part of a
college football game, so I appreciate the crowd. Just the
impact that they had here tonight.
Q. You mentioned the energy from the team this week.
Felt like Edwin Joseph during the week of practice,
you can feel it and sense it when we were out there.
To see it translate over to the game, the journey he’s
had, what can you say about the preparation to
succeed tonight?
MIKE NORVELL: I would say probably over the last three
weeks we’ve seen some huge steps from Edwin. I mean,
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the talent has always been there. It’s the just working to
the consistency, working to the details, working on just
being the best him.
You know, I would say these last few weeks, I mean, he
loves playing the game. He’s so competitive. He loves it.
All parts of it. But you’re seeing him take another step in
his journey.
He earned more opportunities and that’s what he got
tonight. He’s capitalizing on that. Ans it’s still very surface
of where he’s going to go as a player, but he has the right
intent.
I thought Quinn was another guy that was remarkable this
week. Another young corner that had multiple big plays
and pass deflections, being in a great spot. Really proud
of him for what he was able to do.
And you just felt it. You felt it this week in practice, the
competitive drills that we had. It was good back and forth.
I mean, I think that edge and that toughness and obviously
the fight to finish, it showed up big for us.
And a lot of those guys that just chose to bring that energy
on a consistent basis, right, was what I think really kind of
pushed this team today.
Q. When you mentioned the team needed it to go this
way, do you mean coming from behind late and then
also getting the stop to seal it?
MIKE NORVELL: All. We needed every bit of it. From the
stop — coming out I thought we were able to establish the
run game offensively there early. That Cal defense,
they’ve been pretty good. They’re a good defense. They
got good players. We knew there he was of going to be
some challenges that would show up.
I thought our guys, they fought. Got a really good start
early. I didn’t like our third quarter. Thought we missed
some opportunities there just in what we did.
Then to be able to come back and score the touchdown
late, to be able to do it on a third down situation, all the
things that were stacked up and see our defense, I mean,
when they had to respond they rose up.
They had their backs against the wall. When Cal got into
the red zone they continued to push and fight. We needed
to see the — I, mean that’s one of the best running backs in
college football and he showed some good bursts. That’s
something we knew would be a challenge coming into this
game.
I thought our guys for the most part did a really nice job
there, but we were able to create the explosives and that
was big.
Q. I just wanted to ask about Ja’Khi. Obviously the
touchdown catch was a huge one. The third and 18
catch, I think it was third and 18, that he made over the
middle, him just going and attacking the ball and going
and making a play, is that just something this whole
team needs but specifically the offense, just guys go
and make plays?
MIKE NORVELL: I mean, absolutely. That’s what it takes.
When you get your opportunities, I mean, you have to be
the aggressor. Don’t worry about a negative of what could
happen. Don’t worry about the different things that are
around you.
You get an opportunity to go make it, go be the guy that
you’re built to be. I think Ja’Khi, you know, we challenge
him every single day just to continue to push. He’s got it. I
mean, we’ve seen it in big games. We’ve seen him rise to
the occasion, and he definitely did that tonight.
You know, even early in the game there were a couple
things that weren’t great for him, and he had to respond.
You was able to answer the call when it came down to it in
clutch times, big situations, he was able to deliver.
Q. I know you had a lot of optimism; a lot of people
did about what this defensive line, especially that
starting four, could be. How nice is it seeing? Not the
start I’m sure they imagined to the season, but Josh,
Pat, Marvin, just all the plays those guys made at a
very high level?
MIKE NORVELL: No, it’s what these guys are capable of
being. Wherever we are, we are. But just like I said
earlier, the choice that was made and the choice just to go
be better, choice to go and cut it loose and go play — don’t
worry about the circumstances. Those will always be
there. You’ll have those.
You worry about what you can control and with the
opportunity that’s in front of you, are you willing to go put it
all on the table. I thought our defensive line did a really
nice job of that. I saw flashes from our linebackers. There
were opportunities that we had just big plays in coverage
that needed to be made.
It was just a collective defensive effort. But absolutely
started with the spark of those guys up front. We need
them continue to build upon that. Hopefully that can boost
the confidence of capability. Something that we expect,
but great for that to show up.
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Q. LT didn’t seem like a guy that felt real good this
week in practice. What did it mean for him to go out
there tonight and run like he did and give you guys
what he gave you?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, unfortunately Roydell went down
this week. LT really had to battle throughout the week.
He’s such a consistent person, player, just remarkable
young man.
I was really happy for him and the performance he was
able to put. Kam Davis got banged up a little bit early.
Was able to come back in the game. I thought he did
some good things. Yeah, LT, we needed him to be a
workhorse tonight and I thought he definitely answered the
call.
Q. You mentioned the run game. Seemed like the
offensive line was firing off maybe a little bit more.
What did you see from the offensive line tonight?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, you know, I thought they did a
good job. You know, we’ve had better challenges and it’s
— going into these first three games, I mean, the first three
games we had eight different starting offensive lineman
due to injuries and things that showed up. So some
moving pieces.
It was great getting Darius tonight. Rob was out; couldn’t
play. JB couldn’t get back. Jaylen Early made his second
start obviously with the unexpected one there a week ago.
I thought those guys understood what was being asked of
them. They knew we needed to be able to have some
balance in this game. I mean, against that defense with
just how they fly around, if we got in a drop-back game,
there was some challenges that could present themselves.
So I thought being able to work to establish the run was
good. Having some success early was big. Some things
later in the game that we got to absolutely clean up.
But I really liked just the mindset those guys brought,
knowing that it was a necessity for them to be able to get
things going.
They were aggressive in their play and obviously some
things we’ll be able to go back and watch on the film and
continue to clean up.
Q. So much noise around the quarterback the last few
games. How important was that 36-yard touchdown
throw in the fourth quarter, and how can DJ build upon
that?
MIKE NORVELL: I mean, it was a big play in a big
moment. We have to have it. There was still as you go
through today, there is things that you can control, things
that you need to get better at. It’s every position.
We’ll go back and watch and continue to have
opportunities to go get better. Because offensively we did
what was necessary to win the game, but still don’t feel that
that was a performance that offensively of what we’re
capable of.
It’s going to be a consistent and constant push, and
definitely was proud of those guys. Some of those third
down throws, some of the plays that were made, they were
big. We should all grow in confidence with that, but then
also understand that there is so much more out there that
we need to be able to do and accomplish.
But tonight was about this one game and doing the things
that were necessary for us to win. We were able to
accomplish that feat.
Q. What do you hope just getting a win would do for
these guys? Just taking pressure off or…
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, I mean, more than anything else,
it’s hard to win a game. I mean, it is. It takes so many
different things. I think obviously we lost or first one on the
last second field goal. Did not respond very well.
That’s as much as it is, every person has expectations.
Players, coaches, fans, the university. Here at Florida
State you need to embrace every bit of it. This is a special,
special place. We have not started to the standard or
anything close to what we wanted to be.
But even when you find disappointing moments, it is — it
does go to the response of, I mean, just continuing to push,
believe, continuing to work. It’s taken us three games, and
the road that we have, I mean, it is what it is.
You got to show up and you got to find a way to go win.
That’s why I said at the beginning we needed this game to
be exactly how it played out. It was not perfect; we didn’t
play the best game I think we can play. But we have all the
emotional parts of it.
There are things that we were up, we were down, we had
to respond. We had to finish. That’s what this team
needed. I think that is a good Cal team. They have done
some good things. Went on the road. Had an SEC win a
few weeks back. Defense is going to be one the better
defenses within the conference.
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You know, got a lot of respect for how those guys have
played. I knew that would be a challenging game for us,
but we needed every one of those experiences for us to
just build.
You know, to have a little bit of confidence, to see the
response, to experience the joy of seeing guys work their
butts off throughout the week of practice and then get to
celebrate in that locker room.
Because it’s hard to win a game.
Q. Two-part question. How important was getting
Coach Atkins back tonight, and did Jordan Travis help
on the sideline in today’s a game?
MIKE NORVELL: I thought Alex did a remarkable job.
He’s had such a great presence, just all things he does as
the leader of our offensive group. I mean, he is just really
a special coach. I loved having him back on the sideline
with the rest of the offense staff.
I mean, it was great to hear that. I thought just — when our
staff was whole. I loved the way everybody was working
together. Coach Fuller and the defensive staff, the
response. Even though there was a tough situation, just
hearing the encouragement back and forth.
It’s a great group of men. Yeah, it was wonderful find ever
having him there.
For Jordan it’s really special just to see him back. During
one of the breaks I know they recognized him, put him up
our on the jumbotron. That ovation is a well-earned
ovation.
He’s one of the greatest Florida State Seminoles of
all-time. I believe that with everything. What he did in that
jersey was special. But who he is and what he means to
this program is really even more, because he cares so
much about this institution, so much about the guys that he
got a chance to play with.
You know, I’ll just forever be grateful for him. Yeah, it’s
great when all your past players come back and just the —
it is, it’s uplifting. You think back to the great plays that
they’ve made and they’re here just to support the guys out
there now.
And so it was good to have them back on the sideline.
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