Mike Norvell details how Florida State needs to respond following close loss to NC State

Florida State has had a deflating two-week stretch. After a 4-0 start, the Seminoles have dropped a pair of ACC games against ranked competition to Wake Forest and NC State. It’s been frustrating for those in Tallahassee considering the expectations they had amidst their undefeated start. Now, Mike Norvell needs to see his team respond to salvage some of those expectations.

Norvell spoke about what was next for his team during media after Saturday’s 19-17 loss to the Wolfpack. He said the Seminoles need to stay the course, even if the results don’t fall their way on the scoreboard.

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

“Continue to fight, continue to believe, and go showcase your identity. That’s what I told them,” Norvell said. “You go through life and everybody wants it to go pretty smooth. (I was) absolutely, 100% confident we were gonna come in here and we were gonna find a way to win that game. That did not happen, but I believe in this team. I believe in the work that we do, the young men I get to coach, and the staff I get to work with. I believe we will respond in a way that’s going to showcase the identity of this team, of this group.”

Four wins to start the year, with three coming over LSU, Louisville, and Boston College, had people excited about Norvell’s team. However, in their first game after being ranked this season, they lost to the Demon Deacons. They then followed it up with Saturday’s defeat in Raleigh.

There is still plenty of opportunity out there for Florida State to have a season that would be considered successful. They’re disappointed in how the last two weeks have gone, but Norvell now sees this as his team’s chance at redemption after facing some adversity in the middle of their season.

“We represent an incredible university. I know there’s a lot of people disappointed with the outcome that we’ve seen over the last two weeks. But there’s nobody more disappointed than us,” Norvell said. “Ultimately, we have an incredible opportunity to be able to rise up, to go push forward, to go get better, and put on display the DNA, culture, and values of this football team. I’ve got great confidence in how these guys are going to respond to it. We’re gonna continue to work to be our best in everything that we do.”

Florida State will get that opportunity for vindication this weekend against Clemson. Even if not, they still have chances left on their schedule against Miami, Syracuse, and Florida. It may not match the expectations they may have had the first few weeks, but Norvell and his team still have a great chance at a season that is a step in the right direction for the program. The most important thing, though, will be getting back in the win column as soon as possible.