Mike Norvell said there was a noticeable change in energy and urgency to his Florida State football team (1-3) in preparation for Cal.

He felt that players "enjoyed competing" ahead of Saturday's 14-9 win over Cal.

Norvell admitted the performance in the win wasn't up to the standard he's set for the program. But he felt the energy and response were good after the 0-3 start to the season.

"I was proud of our guys, proud of the way that they fought. I think that was the X-factor in the game," Norvell said. "I think it started throughout the week of practice. The intent, the purpose, the joy that they had in going through the preparation."

"I felt their energy, I felt the excitement and all the things that showed up throughout the course of the game."

It wasn't the prettiest of wins for the Seminoles, with Norvell admitting there is still a lot to clean up. But he feels there were some impressive performances to build off.

Norvell mentioned Quindarrius Jones and Edwin Joseph as two players who stepped up with more opportunities in the secondary. On the offensive line, he was happy with how Jaylen Early stepped up during his second career start.

He said that the energy change in preparation was the difference, with players Patrick Payton and Edwin Joseph mentioning the same following Saturday's game.

"When you feel that edge and that urgency, that was the thing that stood out. There were good plays and bad plays in practice last week, and mistakes were made, but there was an urgency and enjoyment for that work," Norvell said. "I thought that mentality was really special. I told our team before the game it was motivating to me to watch them come out and prepare the way they did."

"It's something that you want, you desire you ask for, but they made the choice to. I was very confident in what it would look like. I felt us play like we were accustomed to playing here at Florida State."

Norvell said it was a fun game to be a part of with the crowd's energy. Cal had multiple false start penalties as the fans caused issues for the Golden Bears' offense. Norvell credited the environment for boosting confidence.

The focus for the Seminoles now switches to SMU. Facing the Mustangs in the program's first ACC game, FSU travels to Dallas for an 8 p.m. kickoff at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Saturday.

Offense is still not what FSU wants, young players could get a chance

While the win was important to the Seminoles, Norvell said the offense is still not performing to the level he expects.

Norvell said there needs to be more efficient production from the offense. FSU has scored 60 points in four games this season, scoring just 26 points in the last two games.

There were moments where FSU's offense was clicking, particularly early in the game when the Seminoles were playing up-tempo. However, consistency in execution has remained an issue and Norvell said things have to be better.

"Four games in, we've not done a good enough job offensively. That's very clear," Norvell said. "We have to get better. We're going to continue to evaluate all parts of what we do, what we're asking them to do, who is doing what, and it has to show up in the game to be better. Because it's a necessity for this football team."

Norvell said the offense needs to let the game come to them instead of forcing things.

The main improvement for the Seminoles was in the run game. Lawrance Toafili recorded a team-high 80 rushing yards and a touchdown to lead FSU to 132 rushing yards.

The production was a noticeable change after back-to-back games with limited usage for the running backs. FSU recorded 16 carries for 21 yards vs. Boston College and 24 carries for 37 yards vs. Memphis, doubling the yardage total of the two games combined vs. Cal.

With Roydell Williams out for an "extended period," Norvell said the running back room is taking a hit, but opportunities for young players will arise. He has confidence in Toafili to lead the room in Williams's absence.

"It does open up a great opportunity for some of those younger guys," Norvell said.

"I thought L.T. did an outstanding job there in the game. You saw Kam Davis, he got banged up a little bit in the game, and was able to come back. Sam Singleton was able to get some work. Micahi Danzy is really pushing, and obviously Caziah Holmes.

"That running back group is a very talented group."

How to watch FSU football vs. SMU

Where: Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Dallas Texas

Who: FSU vs. SMU

When: 8 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. CT

Watch: ACC Network

Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LRooney@gannett.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida State football's Mike Norvell: Offense improvement a 'necessity'