Instead, Norvell said in a phone interview with ESPN that his team will just get back to work. “That game, it didn’t need to be as close as it was,” Norvell said. “We made some mistakes that might have cost us, so we better learn from the experience we had last night and get better. If you want to show that you’re back, win every game and get better every week and every practice. That’s what you have to do. you’re doing. I’m glad our kids are excited about the strides we’ve made. But if we don’t keep making strides, then none of this will matter.” In postgame interviews, multiple players — including defensive end Jared Verse and receiver Ontaria Wilson — said the win meant Florida State was back. It’s easy to see why they felt that way after an emotional win. Florida State hasn’t started a season 2-0 since 2016. Last year, the Seminoles started 0-4, including a blowout season-opening loss to Notre Dame.
1 Related Heading into this season and Year 3 under Norvell, there were many questions as to whether the program would finally turn around. The win against LSU certainly showed that this team knows how to win close games — even when there’s adversity to overcome. After recovering a Malik Nabers punt with 2 minutes, 15 seconds left at the LSU 8-yard line and holding a 24-17 lead, it looked like the Seminoles would be poised to close out the win. But on third-and-goal from the LSU 1, Florida State called a pitch back to Treshaun Ward, who fumbled. LSU recovered with 1:20 left. “In hindsight, it obviously wasn’t the best call,” Norvell said Monday. “It wasn’t worth the risk reward.” LSU drove 99 yards down the field for a touchdown with no time left. Norvell acknowledged “a few mishaps” in that defensive line. Florida State sent its team onto the field, and Norvell held up one finger, telling his team all they had to do was make a play. Florida State defensive end Jared Wers had a field goal blocked earlier in the game. In the extra point drive, LSU focused on Verse, allowing Shyheim Brown a clear path to block the punt — giving the Seminoles their first win against a non-Power 5 opponent since beating Florida in 2017. But even if the game had gone to overtime, Norvell said he felt his team would have won. “No matter what happened on that last kick, I thought we were going to be successful in that game and I thought our guys would rise to the occasion,” Norvell said. “But we had one more play in regulation. And we made the play that was necessary to win.” Norvell described the post-match celebration as “awesome.” Defensive tackle Jarrett Jackson picked Norvell up in the air. “She shook me like a rag doll,” Norvell said with a laugh. “Just to see the joy. We’ve been talking all week about that heart and whatever it takes, let that identity come through.” Florida State has an open date this week before starting ACC play on the road in a Friday night game against Louisville. After all the adversity this team has overcome over the past five seasons, the last thing Norvell wants is for his team to forget what got them to a point where they could win the kind of game they did Sunday. “We’ve been talking since the beginning — how are you going to respond to success? — because I absolutely know that success is coming, and we’re getting some of it now,” Norvell said. “But ultimately, we have to improve, and if we don’t do that, the things that we desire, the things that we’re going to grow to be, to realize the potential that this team and this program has, I’m going to miss the opportunity.”
