Mike Norvell breaks down how FSU is preparing for a new Florida quarterback

When Florida and Florida State meet during rivalry week on Saturday, they’ll do so with a really unique set of circumstances: Both teams will be starting a backup quarterback for the first time this season.

Florida State lost starting quarterback Jordan Travis last weekend, while Florida lost starting quarterback Graham Mertz.

Mertz suffered a collarbone injury in a loss to Missouri, putting Florida backup Max Brown into the game. It’s Brown that will take the reins when the Gators take on the Seminoles.

“We’ve got to prepare for all the things we’ve seen over the last 11 weeks,” Norvell said. “But then you also prepare for the unexpected. At the end of the day, it’s still about us. It’s about our technique, our fundamentals.”

Mertz had emerged as one of the SEC’s most efficient quarterbacks, even if the Florida offense wasn’t always the most explosive. The Gators will miss his poise in the pocket.

Brown, the backup, offers a bit of a different element. He’s much more capable as a runner, which can allow Florida to build in some zone read elements and quarterback run into the offense.

He executed some of that quite well against the Tigers, highlighted by a 27-yard run that put the team in position to take the lead late in the fourth quarter with a field goal. Florida’s defense would let it down against Missouri after that, but Brown did his part.

Whether he can do that for 90 minutes against a good Florida State defense remains to be seen.

Norvell just wants to see his players focus on execution and not worry about who’s lining up under center. There are plenty of other factors to worry about.

“In a rivalry game, there is so much emotion,” Norvell said. “We’re going into a hostile environment but hopefully, we’ll stay true to who we are and maintain our emotional maturity in that type of atmosphere and be able to go execute to the level I know that we can. I’ve got a lot of belief in how our guys will play and how we’ll respond to things that show up over the course of the game.”

There are considerable stakes for both teams going into the game, too.

Florida State is undefeated and ranked No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings, searching for a top four spot and a berth in the playoffs. The Seminoles will have to stay unbeaten to earn one.

Florida, meanwhile, is at 5-6 on the season and needs to win to reach bowl eligibility, securing some vital extra bowl practices for a really young squad.

The two teams will meet in the Swamp at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, with a national broadcast on ESPN.