The Florida State Seminoles lost to the Pitt Panthers 34-31 on Saturday in Doak Campbell Stadium. They are now 3-3 overall and 0-3 in ACC play to the frustration of their fans.
FSU head coach Mike Norvell was asked what he would tell the frustrated fans after the game, and he admitted that they deserved to be frustrated and he was as well.
“You should be frustrated with the results,” he said. “We lost three straight games. I’m frustrated with the results. And ultimately, we got to get it fixed.
“There’s no fan that’s out there that’s more frustrated than I am. And there’s been a lot of work and investment and, you know, push with this team. And we got to get the job done. And that’s what it comes down to.
“But yeah, I understand their frustrations. And, you know, we’re going to get it. We’re going to get it fixed. And we’re going to get it right.”
Norvell also talked about their offensive injuries, the defensive struggles, letting losses linger, and more. Here are his comments after FSU’s loss to Pitt.
Opening Statement
Unfortunately, you know, coming out of today, you know, things that you expected to see, you know, coming off the week of work, coming off the challenge, that was not applied well enough and ultimately, I mean, just still too many mistakes. We had our opportunities, found ourselves in situations to be able to capitalize and then found ourselves in challenging spots throughout the course of the game and we didn’t do enough to overcome, you know, the negative plays and obviously, you know, had some missed opportunities and some self-inflicted mistakes that cost us big in this game and we did have some injuries, some guys that went down but, you know, we had plenty of opportunities and that’s a team that’s a good enough team that if you put yourself in those situations, they can take advantage of it. There’s things, you know, coaching, player-wise, you know, things that are emphasized, things that we’ve got to get fixed and we’ve got to get applied, you know, to be able to come out, you know, just victorious.
I mean, at the end of the day, you get three straight weeks where, you know, we’ll finish the game with one possession loss and, you know, there’s too many things that have showed up that kept us, you know, from that and, you know, ultimately it all falls on my shoulders because we’re not getting it done and so, you know, we need to, as a group, you know, and you’re talking to the guys that are in the locker room, it’s a pissed-off football team and you can be pissed off, you know, but we’ve got to see, we’ve got to see application and, you know, execution in the moment from all of us, every one of us, what we want it to look like, what we want it to be and to get the job done, to come out on top and so, you know, this team, you know, I believe that they will continue to fight. I believe that they will give everything that they have and we will get it right and, you know, obviously everything that’s in front of us, you know, with this week and it is a game, we’ve got to go on the road, we’ve got a long trip ahead but, you know, we’ve got work that needs to get done and work that needs to get applied and, you know, like I said, watching the intent of last week’s practice, you know, that’s one of the things that are most disappointing to me is there’s things that, you know, I thought guys did a great job throughout the week and then still we had our moments in this game that some lack of focus, you know, some communication issues or just, you know, missed opportunities showed up and, you know, we’ve got to do better than that.
On how surprised he was with the defensive struggles
Yeah, you know, I mean, we absolutely didn’t play very well on that side of the ball and, you know, there’s things that obviously as coaches we got to look at and, you know, matchups and positions and, you know, obviously, you know, how things are, you know, we’re getting it done throughout the course of the game and then, you know, obviously there were some opportunities, you know, where we’ve got to be, we’ve got to be better, you know, with the guys that are on the field and, you know, but, you know, they had multiple fourth down conversions that they were able to get, you know, the quarterback. We lacked getting pressure on the quarterback enough and then, you know, when we did, he stepped up and we had big runs and scrambles which, you know, we’ve got to be better integrity in our rush lanes. There was still a couple times with communication where, you know, we’ve got to, we’ve got to be better in our coverage and, you know, we were able to create a couple takeaways or still a couple missed opportunities that we had that were critical in that game.
And so, obviously, it’s not to the standard of how we expect to play. Credit to the team that the running back did a great job. You know, there were some times that we were in unfavorable matchups with him and, you know, we’ve got to, we’ve got to be able to get that corrected and, you know, and then there were still times where we’re right in position to make the play but you got to go finish and you got to, you can’t hesitate, you got to, you know, can’t wait for somebody else and, you know, you got to take advantage of those times and, you know, really it’s a collective effort in all things but, you know, I was surprised.
Norvell on FSU’s struggles maintaining rushing lanes
Yeah, I mean, there’s, you know, there’s some moments where it’s whether it’s a game or twist and, you know, there’s the urgency and, you know, really just the overall, you know, continue, you know, understanding the importance of where you have to be and, you know, it’s that you can’t, sometimes you might have a desire. I mean, you got to be relentless to get there and, you know, we’ve got to, we’ve got to make sure that, you know, there’s, there’s some of those situations that showed up there sometimes. Obviously that, you know, there was maybe a lack of communication or, you know, guys, you know, that need to be a little bit cleaner and understand the things that we’ve worked for that to show up in the course of the game.
And, you know, there’s a couple times where we just, you know, they got us on a good job on their, on their offensive line or quarterback where he worked to, that allowed it to, to extend. But it’s unacceptable to have as many, I guess, easy yards when the quarterback step it up and scramble the way that he did, you know, we’ve got to be better in our ush lanes.
On FSU’s defensive struggles in the middle of the field
Well, I mean, there’s some things that were schemed today that were good.
And I know, you know, and we knew the running back, you know, he’s a, he can be a challenge for the receiver that he is out of the backfield. They did some good things and trying to isolate that. They caught us right in a few coverages.
In those situations, we did have a couple of times where it was either a tempo or a motion that we weren’t clean enough in our communication. And it put, there was just a little bit of hesitation, we’re a step behind or, or didn’t get the, you know, didn’t get the communication echod, where there’s one or two players that were operating together. And, you know, so it was big, it was very susceptible to, to space. And, you know, we allowed way too much space today.
On the coaching staff communicating with each other
I mean, you know, its an expectation, we all have a job to do. And, you know, I mean, at the end of the day, what you see that shows up on the field, what you show, what shows up on film, that’s us. And, you know, it’s not been good enough.
It starts with me. I mean, you know, offense, defense, special teams. So there was plays in every phase that, that did not allow us to get a victory today.
So, you know, I know, I know my expectation for the staff and my expectation for the players. Everybody that, as I said a week ago, you talked about the application of things that are happening in the practice. Well, we need to grow up and get it done in the game.
And, you know, if it’s not happening, if it’s not happening in your position, take ownership of it and get it fixed. And, you know, that’s, that’s part of it. That’s part of it.
I mean, I’ve got to take full ownership of everything that you had to just watch out there and get it fixed. And, you know, the work is, the work is in front of us. The work is there.
And what needs to get done, the application, and it’s, it’s everybody. And so that’s, I know what it needs to look like. I know what it needs to be.
We’ve got to get it done.
On not letting losses build, turning it around
Oh, you know, it’s, you know, I don’t know how much of it is, you know, a, you know, a carryover. I don’t, I don’t necessarily feel the carryover effect. It’s, it’s about, you know, you play teams that, you know, have talent and ability and guys that, you know, go out there and execute.
And, you know, if you do things that are, that put yourself in competitive disadvantages, you know, that’s, you can get exposed. And, you know, we’ve got to, we’ve got to make sure that in each week, you know, our focus, you know, our, you know, being able to translate the week of work into the game and then, then be able to deal with the ebbs and flow of the game. I mean, there’s not, there’s going to be good moments, bad moments.
I thought we saw that, you know, I thought there late in the, in the first half, the guys did a good job in being able to handle that, to be able to go in, you know, up at halftime. You know, but then we get into the fourth quarter, obviously the fumble was huge. I mean, we had some huge plays with penalties that cost us.
And you sit there and you talk about, you know, accountability, you talk about your work, you talk about emphasis, you know, but we got to, we got to do it in the course of the game. And, you know, just we’re not doing that consistently enough. And, you know, each game, you get one shot at it.
So, I don’t think this team has stopped fighting. I don’t believe that there’s, that there’s, there’s pullback in it. You know, it’s just, you get three, three ones, frigging score losses and, you know, we’ve earned every one of them.
So, it pissed me off.
On what he would tell fans who think they peaked against Alabama
I mean, I believe in what these guys can do.
I mean, I think we’ve shown flashes and, you know, even in some of these losses, we’ve shown flashes of capability. But if you don’t put it together, I mean, it’s still about the one game that you have. And today we had, we had our opportunity.
We came up short. That’s, you know, I don’t doubt this team.
I don’t doubt, you know, the, the ability and capability that they have. But, you know, once again, we’ve got to, we’ve got to be able to transition, you know, that from, from week to week, so our best shows up. And, you know, obviously, that’s, that’s what needs to get done.
On how much the injuries affected the offense, update on Duce Robinson
Yeah, I don’t have much updates like I was injuries and we had guys that tried to push throughout the week.
Even Randy came out in pregame to try to give it a go and just wasn’t able to, to be able to do that. And yeah, I mean, you know, obviously, you have, you’ve got a group that, you know, that has worked together. And, you know, and I mean, I think that it’s, you know, there’s commendable, you know, performances of that Micahi Danzy showed up at a big, really high level.
You were down, you know, two receivers, you know, that are starters, you know, with one of our other guys that started season as a starter that was out. You mentioned Randy, you know, they’re a tight end, you know, starting right tackle was out. There was plenty of, plenty of, you know, new faces that were in there.
But I think there are guys that are capable. And now as we got further into the depth, you know, it was made a little bit more challenging. And those guys got to, when you get your opportunity, you got to show that you’re ready and be able to transition that into, you know, making plays in the moment.
And there’s guys that are still even within, you know, a couple of those rooms that have talent and ability. We just need the consistency of where to be, what to do, you know, how to do it, you know, at a high level. And, you know, we’ve got to continue to coach and develop them.
This is not, you know, it’s not from a loack of a want to from our coaching staff or even with the players, but it is that application. But yeah, it has its effect. But, you know, I still believe that there’s plenty of capable, you know, playmakers within that, within those groups to be able to get the job done.
On his message to frustrated fans
You should be frustrated with the results. We lost three straight games. I’m frustrated with the results. And ultimately, we got to get it fixed.
We got to go make it better. And you show the potential of what this team is, you know, on a consistent basis. But yeah, there’s every bit of frustration.
There’s no fan that’s out there that’s more frustrated than I am. And there’s been a lot of work and investment and, you know, push with this team. And we got to get the job done.
And that’s what it comes down to. But yeah, I understand their frustrations.
And, you know, we’re going to get it. We’re going to get it fixed. And we’re going to get it right.
On FSU’s struggles to extend the lead when they have it
Well, I mean, it’s, you know, it’s not a consistent, you know, person or group in that moment. It comes down to where you get, if you get an opportunity to make the play, you got to go, you got to go finish it.
And if you are, as coaches, you know, we’ve got to put you guys in the best space to be able to accomplish that, whether it’s adjustments that we make, whether it’s, you know, the people that are out there, I mean, all those things are evaluated. And as things consistently show up, there are some consistent issues that we’ve had that have to get better. And, you know, that’s, you know, it’s our job as a coaching staff to be able to minimize some of the limitations that might have shown up and to still be able to go out and be productive with each drive, or you know, in some of those critical situations that we’ve got to go either stretch the lead or, you know, respond and get a stop.
And so, you know, like I said, I do believe in the playmakers that we have. And, you know, I do believe that there’s a path of that, you know, getting done, you know, immediately. And that means it needs to show up.
And, you know, everybody’s accountable for it. And we’ve got to get the job done. But it’s not just been one issue that’s that’s constantly showed up.
But I mean, we’ve had our moments.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: What FSU head coach Mike Norvell said after Pitt loss
Reporting by JD McCarthy, FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
