FSU Football asks ACC to review penalties from N.C. State game; Joshua Farmer praised for hit on QB
While choosing his words carefully, Florida State football coach Mike Norvell said on Monday there were multiple penalties in the Seminoles’ 19-17 loss to N.C. State that he has sent in to the ACC office for clarification or review. And he said it isn’t the first time he has had to do that in recent weeks.
FSU was flagged 10 times for 100 yards on Saturday, while N.C. State was penalized eight times for 70 yards. One week earlier, the Seminoles were called for 11 penalties for 96 yards, compared to four for 40 yards for Wake Forest.
“The last two weeks, we’ve sent in plays,” Norvell said at his Monday press conference, when he was asked about the topic. ”It doesn’t do us a whole lot of good to get the feedback that we were right after the fact, but I appreciate [the acknowledgement].”
Norvell did praise the league office for listening to coaches’ complaints and concerns.
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While there were a handful of questionable calls, the one that drew the most ire from Norvell — and the FSU fan base — was a roughing-the-passer penalty on defensive lineman Joshua Farmer in the second half.
Farmer was flagged for a personal foul after what appeared to be a routine hard hit in the upper body of N.C. State quarterback Devin Leary. The play gave the Wolfpack 15 yards and a first down on a drive that would end up cutting Florida State’s lead to 17-13.
After the game, Norvell said he did not agree with the call. And he did not back down from that stance on Monday.
Defensive coordinator Adam Fuller also made it clear that Farmer did nothing wrong. He didn’t hit Leary in the head, and he didn’t lead with the crown of his helmet.
“On that play, I thought he played it, he beat a block, his eyes were up. Ran through the play,” Fuller said. “I’m proud of him.”
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That’s not to say the Seminoles had issues with all of the penalties. To the contrary, Norvell sounded more concerned about the flags that his players could have avoided — including two personal fouls by veteran offensive players in the second half — than he was the questionable rulings.
Offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after a play that would have left the Seminoles facing a third-and-2 at their own 33-yard line. Instead, they were pushed back into a third-and-17 and had to punt one play later. N.C. State would slice its deficit to 17-16 on the ensuing possession.
Wide receiver Mycah Pittman was later flagged for a personal foul on the sideline after the Wolfpack picked off a pass by Jordan Travis.
“Ultimately, we’ve got to make mature choices as we’re playing this game,” Norvell said. “I love effort, I love physicality, but we can’t put our team in a position to have those negatives. When it comes to plays on the sidelines, when it comes to ends of plays, we’ve got to be smart in those situations.”
Norvell and offensive coordinator Alex Atkins both praised Gibbons and Pittman for being among the most physical and passionate players in the program. But they said even veteran players sometimes need to be reminded not to go too far when it comes to contact after the whistle.
“You play right up until that line, and there’s an edge,” Atkins said. “Those two are veteran players, and both took ownership in the moment. They knew they went like right over the edge. And you don’t want to take that (aggression) away from them, because that’s why they’re in the position where they are … fight, toughness and a mentality. …
“You’ve got to let them be them. But you’ve also got to understand what hurts the team.”
Talk about this story with other die-hard FSU football fans on the Tribal Council.
