Florida State head coach Mike Norvell isn’t letting the Seminoles get ahead of themselves. With a 3-0 start and a top-10 national ranking, Florida State enters tonight’s matchup at Virginia with plenty of momentum. But Norvell is adamant that the focus must remain on what’s directly in front of them.
“If you want to be in the conversation at the end, you better win the one that’s in front of you,” Norvell said. “It’s a fight for your identity. Every day you got to show up and put it on display. You can have good feelings what you think you are, but it’s still what shows up on film.”
The eighth-ranked Seminoles will be tested tonight for the first time away from Tallahassee. Norvell admitted that while his team is filled with veteran experience, the road atmosphere at Virginia presents a different challenge. “You go on the road and it’s the complete opposite [of home]. If you have a bad play, you feel the weight of all the energy within the stadium. You got to be in control of your response,” he said.
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Norvell has spent the short week drilling situational football and communication. “Every rep has a huge focus of making sure the guys have understanding, but then the application to what we’re asking them to do,” he said. “We’ve tried to challenge guys, put them in difficult situations, making sure that the crowd noise and all the different elements…we’re able to hold true to our discipline.”
Virginia brings plenty of weapons to the table. Running back J’Mari Taylor has already scored six touchdowns, while quarterback Chandler Morris has thrown for over 1,000 yards. Norvell emphasized that their ability to create explosive plays must be met with discipline. “He’s [Morris] going to have his eyes down the field. He can run and make things happen. He’s a great playmaker,” Norvell said. “J’Mari Taylor, he runs tough, he’s got good vision. You better come with the right intention if you plan on stopping him.”
For Norvell, the message is clear. Rankings, records, and conference talk mean nothing if Florida State doesn’t take care of business in Charlottesville.
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