Florida State coach Mike Norvell addressed the media on Monday, reflecting on his team's performance to jump out to a 21-6 lead, and then the epic collapse against No. 10 Alabama on Saturday. The media sat through what could only be described as a motivational seminar where mediocrity is acceptable.
At his weekly press conference on Monday, Florida State coach Mike Norvell addressed the media about the Seminoles’ 50-36 loss to No. 10 Alabama on Saturday. Norvell waxed not so eloquently, and with no angry passion, about his team’s performance, and collapse, against the Crimson Tide.
Norvell commented on how the Seminoles held a 21-6 lead 28 minutes into the game. He praised his quarterback, Ashton Daniels, who passed for 377 yards and two touchdowns, and added two rushing touchdowns. Yes, Duce Robinson finally became a weapon in the offense, with six catches for 135 yards (22.50 yards/catch) and a touchdown. But that is where the positives stop.
Daniels also threw three interceptions, costly turnovers that killed Florida State drives and resulted in missed opportunities to put Alabama up against the ropes with some body blows. The Florida State defense folded under pressure, like origami.
They allowed 220 yards rushing and 24 points scored against them in the second half. Normally, that is grounds for some “spicy rhetoric” when describing a team’s performance in a loss. But you will not see that from Norvell.
“You get a chance to be in that situation, competing in the into the fourth quarter, one-score game, in a place that's very difficult to go and win at,” said Norvell, in a normal, conversational tone. “I thought we put ourselves in position but, did not get the job done. But I am proud of the fight of our players.”
The same reason that a win is a win, is why a loss is a loss. The fact that you were ahead 21-6 makes it even worse.
It appears more and more each week, that Norvell is not the kind of guy to pound a table at a press conference after a loss, like Brian Kelly displayed after LSU lost to USC in the 2024 season opener.
Nor is he a Saban type of guy who blows a blood vessel on the sideline because of a defensive penalty called on Alabama, with a 56-3 Crimson Tide lead in the fourth quarter against New Mexico State in 2021. But that is exactly why Saban won six national championships at Alabama.
And he is certainly not cut from the same cloth as Texas A&M coach Mike Elko, who had this to say after his ninth-ranked Aggies lost to Kentucky on Saturday, “Hat's off to Kentucky," Elko said. "They came in here, and they beat our a**. Not good enough from us on any level. Coaching, playing, performing, physicality. Anything.”
Florida State should (and probably will) beat Central Arkansas on Saturday. But with the remainder of their ACC schedule being a brutal gauntlet, Norvell’s horrifically lackadaisical attitude toward his team’s performance in a loss, will be a major reason why Florida State may not win another game. And, why Norvell may not survive the chopping block past the road game at Miami.
Not putting the fear of God in the players gives these underperforming young adults a false sense of security, that mediocrity is acceptable as long as you put in the same effort.
Change is warranted at Florida State. This kind of underperforming style of play, and failure to develop and improve from week to week, certainly cannot be left unchallenged. A little fiery disposition displayed by the head coach from time to time never hurt anyone.
