Mike Norvell considers why Florida State couldn’t sustain run game after first drive

It was a frustrating trip to Ireland for the Florida State Seminoles and head coach Mike Norvell for plenty of reasons. Struggling to sustain the running game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets after the opening drive was just one of those reasons.

Following the game, Norvell shared his thoughts on why Florida State struggled to sustain its running game after the opening drive.

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“We had a couple of explosive runs there in that first drive,” Mike Norvell said. “Obviously we were not able to replicate that as the game went on. They did a good job with some of the adjustments they made.”

Florida State finished the game with 98 rushing yards. 58 of those rushing yards came on the opening drive of the game. Roydell Williams ended up leading the Seminoles in rushing for the game with 38 yards on 12 carries while Lawrance Toafili had 32 yards on eight carries. They each also scored a touchdown on the ground.

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“For us, there are some of the plays were the smallest of margins that are the difference in big, explosive plays,” Norvell said. “That’s where we get to go to work and have to be better. So, some of that we’ll get a chance to watch and see and continue to reevaluate. That’s how I saw it.”

The inability of Florida State to consistently run the ball, especially compared to the success that Georgia Tech had on the ground was a key to the game. The Yellow Jackets finished with 190 yards on the ground and all three of their touchdowns were rushing touchdowns. It was a major reason why Georgia Tech was able to pull off the upset.

The running game has been a key to Mike Norvell’s teams going back to his time at Memphis. Last year’s Florida State team that went unbeaten in the regular season averaged 150.21 yards per game. Finding a way to sustain more success on the ground throughout the game is going to be key for the Seminoles as they look to bounce back from a tough loss in Dublin.

Next week, Florida State returns to Tallahassee for another ACC game. That time, the Boston College Eagles are going to be coming to town.