Mike Norvell on LSU game: It's why you come to Florida State, to be on this stage

Florida State and LSU will be the only Division I college football game taking place Sunday night, which means that all eyes will be on the Allstate Louisiana Kickoff game live from the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

“That’s the joy of coming to Florida State is you’re going to be in these games,” head coach Mike Norvell said about the magnitude of this game. “You’re going to be prime time on that stage. That’s where you want to be. Does that mean that we need to – if you’re preparing harder for this one than you did last week, then you’re not going to be as good as you can be this week because you missed out on the opportunity. And that was the focus. I wanted to see our guys go out and dominate last week, and I thought we did.

“Because they took that approach for that game, yeah, everybody was talking about this one that’s coming up. So, it’s not a secret that it is a showcase game across the country. But every day that we have and each game that we play will either put us in position to be better and to be ready for this moment or you’ll miss out on it. 

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Sunday night’s game will serve as the season opener for LSU, but the Seminoles already have one game under their belt. Last week, Florida State defeated Duquesne 47-7 that saw three Seminoles running backs pass the century mark on the ground (Treshaun Ward, Trey Benson and Lawrance Toafili) and finished the game with 406 total rushing yards.

Quarterback Jordan Travis had an efficient season-opener as well, completing 11 of his 15 passes (73 percent) for 207 yards. He didn’t throw a touchdown – or interception – but shared the ball throughout his receiving corps. If FSU wants to leave what is essentially a home atmosphere for LSU, Travis will need an extended role, as the Tigers aren’t one to typically allow 400 rushing yards to any opponent.

A non-conference matchup of this magnitude will be a must-win for either squad. For Norvell and the Seminoles, it hammers away at the perception that FSU isn’t a team worth betting on anymore. And for the Tigers, they’re in desperate need of the Brian Kelly era starting off on the right foot after the rapid downfall of LSU’s former regime.

Regardless, Norvell is excited to have him team display their skills on a national level in front of a team that has undergone a complete makeover since the last time it took the field.

“It’s Florida State and LSU playing in the Superdome,” Norvell said. “Let’s go. I mean, it’s exciting. If you’re not fired up for this one. I mean, it’s two storied programs, prime time. This is what college football is all about. We’re definitely looking forward to it.”