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Mike Norvell plans to fix Florida State football: Focus on themselves during bye week

peter holland jr., tallahassee democrat
·4 min read

Florida State football is not looking back or looking ahead.

Mike Norvell expressed that message about his team after Thursday's practice. Norvell is not concerned about what happened in past years, nor is he focusing on what is at stake if the Seminoles continue their losing slump.

"Focus on the now, like make the most of today and what's going to be," Norvell said.

"You play well, you get better, you roll the things, whether it's what a team's record is going to be at the end of the year, whether it's where you get drafted, whether it's what awards or recognition you get, that will take care of itself."

The Seminoles are 0-2 and unranked after falling to Boston College on Monday. As the Seminoles entered a bye this week, Norvell treated this week of practice like fall camp.

"Just wanted to really focus on, on us," Norvell said.

"We extended individual time to get a little bit more team with ones versus ones, twos versus two, and still try to get some developmental time for younger guys who had a big practice."

The last time Norvell went 0-2 was in 2021, Norvell's second year. FSU finished that year 5-7. Norvell remains high strong on FSU and wants the two losses to be lessons learned going forward.

"I've got confidence in this team," Norvell said.

"I believe in what we can do. I believe that as we grow to become more consistent, we can do a better job as coaches and put them in those positions because we're still getting to see this team at every opportunity.

" And we've lost two games, and I don't want to waste those losses. I want to make sure we use those losses to go help us be better today."

Mike Norvell believes 'minor details' are hurting FSU football

Inconsistency remains an issue.

After revisiting the Boston College loss, Norvell explained that the minor details are hurting the Seminoles.

On the offensive side, Norvell is disappointed in the passing attack and wonders why he does not see the execution during the game as he saw it in practice.

"You got to get you got to push in that moment, and if you start to press, if you start to lose sight of the details, which one thing that is disappointing in the passing game," Norvell said.

"There are times when where the minor details of what we work on , and then what we see in practice, don't show up at the gate."

Norvell also said he hopes to establish a run game for the Seminoles.

Boston College's defense held FSU to only 21 rushing yards, and quarterback DJ Uiagalelei threw the ball 42 times and completed 21. He also had the most carries on the ground but was netted for negative five yards.

"We got to stick to run and continue to establish a running game," Norvell said. "We had some opportunities."

Mike Norvell wants FSU defense to improve on tackling

For the defense, Norvell saw improvements in aggression. However, the tackling is still not up to par.

"We got to continue to clean that up, and it's just the timing," Norvell said. "I think there are guys who are going into time trying not to miss a tackle rather than making a tackle."

FSU has struggled against the run and also against dual-threat quarterbacks. The Eagles rushed for 263 yards on the ground, including 73 yards and a touchdown by BC's quarterback Thomas Castellanos.

"When you're playing a group with a running quarterback and a guy that's going to be incorporated, that you have to account for, finding minor details of space, and that's where we have to continue to improve," Norvell said.

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Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Mike Norvell plan to fix FSU football: Focus on themselves in bye week