Mike Norvell, who is in the midst of his first season as the head coach of Florida State, expressed disappointment when explaining to the media how his team performed at practice on Wednesday.
“There were moments where it was solid work and there were moments where we were not meeting the standard that is necessary,” Norvell said. “The choice has to be made every single day in what we're willing to give and what it is we want. At times today we did that And other times we did not. We have to continue to work and make that choice now as a football team and as individuals on what that standard is going to be for each one of us.
“I can promise you that, for the program, the standard will not change.”
This may be a good summation of where this Seminoles program is and, potentially, while also hinting at what they could become under the leadership of a head coach who went 38-15 in four seasons at Memphis, including a 12-win campaign in 2019.
At least publicly, Norvell comes across as soft-spoken, which may be the ideal tone in which to deliver such an honest public assessment of his football team, as opposed to the gruff personality that many Fighting Irish fans may associate with former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long, who worked under Norvell at both Arizona State and Memphis.
But while the new expectations can be set overnight, getting a roster full of underachieving former four and five-star players to adhere to a higher standard than what they're used to is a different story. There’s a reason Florida State is 1-2 thus far, with its lone win coming against an FCS opponent in Jacksonville State Gamecocks, which actually led against the Seminoles at halftime.
“Every person has a choice,” Norvell said. “There's a variety of different ways that coaches can take the field, and our job is to inspire and help hold players accountable to what the expectation is. With each guy on our team, you know, they have a desire, they have an objective of what they want to accomplish on the field.
“It's our job to help you point them in the direction of how to get that accomplished. But the work is theirs to do.”
Norvell, at least, should have an idea of what his players need to do to defeat a Brian Kelly-led Notre Dame team, having faced the Fighting Irish four times in the past decade as an assistant coach and compiling a 2-2 record.
“It was unique because I was on staffs that played Notre Dame in four to five years … Tulsa when we went up there; Pitt the one year we played them, and then two years at Arizona State,” Norvell said.
In 2010, Norvell was the pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Tulsa when the Golden Hurricanes beat Notre Dame 28-27 in 2010 after defensive back John Flanders intercepted a pass from then Irish quarterback Tommy Rees (now the current Notre Dame offensive coordinator) in the end zone with less than a minute left.
The following season, Norvell saw Notre Dame again, but this time in Pittsburgh, where he was the co-offensive coordinator for just one season. However, in the Sept. 24 matchup with the Fighting Irish, his offense produced just one touchdown, two field goals and a total of 268 yards. This time, it was a Rees touchdown pass in the fourth quarter that put Notre Dame up for good, 15-12.
Norvell saw the Fighting Irish next in 2013, this time as the offensive coordinator at Arizona State. Notre Dame upset the No. 22-ranked Sun Devils 37-34, but ASU quarterback Taylor Kelly exploded for 362 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Rees also had a productive day with three touchdowns, one interception and 279 passing yards. However, this win was technically vacated by Notre Dame.
The last time Norvell faced Notre Dame was the following season, now the associate head coach at ASU, while also keeping the responsibilities as offensive coordinator. The No. 9 Sun Devils defeated the No. 10 Fighting Irish 55-31 in a game where Notre Dame offense outgained ASU 487 yards to 412 yards. Then Irish quarterback Everett Golson threw for 447 yards but was also picked off four times.
“The biggest thing is the same thing we tell our guys here,” Norvell said. “It's not about the opponent. It’s about what we're willing to invest; what we're willing to do. Obviously, the moment is going to be great. It's going to be Saturday night in South Bend on national TV. Those are all wonderful things. It's great, big excitement.
“But it’s not about what they do. It's about what we do — what we're willing to invest in our preparation and making sure that we're ready for the moment.”
The good news for Notre Dame is that this FSU rebuild may take several years and that Norvell caught Kelly when he was still in the process of rebuilding this Fighting Irish program. In fact, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 represent four of the five worst seasons Kelly's produced at Notre Dame.
But none of that will even matter if the players at FSU aren't prepared to consistently play at the standard Norvell demands and, based on what the Seminoles have shown this season, his team has a long way to go.
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