"Not how I coach this game": FSU head coach Mike Norvell gets candid on losing season

Florida State and Mike Norvell have followed up on a near-CFP season with an absolute disaster. The 1-9 Seminoles were expected to compete for the ACC crown and a spot in the 12-team playoff. Norvell is already processing how this season went off the rails.

In an interview with former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III, Norvel waxed philosophical on what has gone wrong with a team that was so right in 2023. FSU has tumbled from 13-1 to 1-9, and Norvell offered a clear explanation of what's gone wrong.

"With the disappointment of defeat, I don't think we've handled that very well," Norvell said. "There's been times in the year when players and coaches, we started to press. With all the right intentions, and everybody wanting to be successful, but I think there's been a couple times in games and even throughout the course of games where you see guys playing not to lose, or playing not to make a mistake, or 'I don't want to get beat here.'

"Look, that's not this game. That's not how I coach this game, that's not how we're going to play this game. But if you allow yourself to get into that mindset, it really does take a lot of the joy out of it."-- Norvell

Comparing FSU's 2023 and 2024 season

Norvell was in his fourth season at Florida State in 2023, and he improved the team's record each year from 3-6 to 5-7 to 10-3. The Seminoles finished the regular season 13-0, winning the ACC championship game. However, they lost quarterback Jordan Travis to injury late in the season.

At the time, Florida State's lack of style points in games without Travis (24-15 win over Florida and 16-6 win over Louisville in the ACC title game) cost the Seminoles' spot in a four-team CFP field. An outraged Florida State team finished fifth in the CFP rankings and then got destroyed 63-3 by Georgia in the Orange Bowl.

In many ways, that Orange Bowl game seemed to flip the switch on FSU football. Florida State lost as a substantial favorite in a Week 0 game in Ireland against Georgia Tech. That said, FSU did score 21 points that week and they haven't topped 16 points since.

Florida State's lone win was a 14-9 victory over California. Transfer QB DJ Uiagalelei was a disaster and all three FSU QBs have combined for eight touchdowns and 13 interceptions on the season.

Critics have called for Norvell to be fired, and he will likely be expected to make massive staff changes in the wake of this awful 2024 season.

What do you think of the FSU coach's comments? Share your thoughts on his FSU tenure below in our comments section!