Florida State head coach Mike Norvell not shying away from rivalry stakes of UF game
Curt Weiler
Tallahassee Democrat
Florida State head football coach Mike Norvell doesn't subscribe to the vanilla coach speak that many in his profession do.
Many college football coaches would enter a week like this -- one in which FSU closes out its season with a clash against in-state rival Florida -- talking about how his team are trying to approach this week like any other, not taking the opponent or the stakes into account.
While Norvell said he hopes his team prepares the same way, he didn't shy away from saying how important a week this is. Beyond the fact that six wins and assured bowl eligibility will be on the line when FSU (5-6, 4-4 in ACC) and UF (5-6, 2-6 in SEC) clash Saturday at noon (ESPN) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, it's his introduction into the rivalry nearly two years into his tenure.
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"The very first day of fall camp, I talked about two teams. I talk about Miami and I talk about this one," Norvell said his weekly press conference Monday, growing in passion.
"Everybody wants to win this game because it will be a game that's remembered for the rest of your life regardless of who the coach is...Everything you do throughout the season is going to prepare you for the moment. You've either done the job, learned from the experiences and you apply for 60 minutes during that game or you don't. And you have to live with the results."
The Seminoles enter this year's game having lost the last two games to the Gators by a combined score of 81-31. The two teams didn't play last year due to the SEC not allowing any non-conference games in the COVID-affected 2020 season.
It was widely believed that FSU may again struggle to be competitive this season against the Gators. After all, UF was coming off its third straight appearance in a New Year's Six bowl while the Seminoles were 3-6 in Norvell's first season.
However, FSU has improved dramatically after an 0-4 start this season while the Gators fired head coach Dan Mullen Sunday after Saturday's loss at Missouri marked UF's fifth loss in its last six SEC games with the lone win coming against Vanderbilt.
It's frankly remarkable that Florida moved on from Mullen just over two months after the Gators nearly pulled off a home win over an Alabama team that was ranked No. 1 at the time.
And yet, in the following weeks, Florida underwent a collapse similar to the one FSU went through at the end of Jimbo Fisher's tenure, albeit on a much quicker scale.
Mullen, who had a 29-9 record at Florida entering this season, is now gone just days before what would have been his third time taking on the Seminoles.
Saturday's game will mark the third time in the last four FSU-UF games that one side has an interim head coach. UF had Randy Shannon as its interim head coach back in 2017 after Jim McElwain was fired and FSU was led into its 2019 game at UF by Odell Haggins, filling in after Willie Taggart was fired a few weeks earlier.
Norvell admitted to not knowing the specifics of what went into Mullen's downfall in Gainesville, but did say it speaks to the volatility and high expectations of college football coaches at this level.
"It is definitely a new age when you look at how things progress with different timelines, the expectations. You come to Florida State to do something special, to build something special. But that's why we're here, to be able to represent the university. It is a tremendous honor to do that," Norvell said.
"You look at the way things are operating throughout college football, it's different. I'm excited for the opportunity I have in front of me. I am excited about the opportunity for this game, but you've got to make every day count. That's why when I came here, I talked about the way this is going to be done. Because we will achieve success. When we get there, we've got to make sure it's built the right way so not only you achieve, so you can sustain it. That's been a huge focus for us through the process and that's what I've really been pleased with our team and our growth."
When the Seminoles were 3-6 after consecutive losses to Clemson and NC State, the chances of a bowl bid were slim, considering they would likely need to win each of their final three games.
Now, though, after resilient wins over Miami and Boston College, FSU can become the first team since 1986 and just the third team in college football history to qualify for a bowl after an 0-4 start this weekend in Gainesville.
Not even taking those stakes into account, Norvell hopes that the rivalry stakes are enough on their own to motivate his team heading into Saturday's regular-season finale.
"Do I want our guys to be at an all-time high on Saturday? Absolutely. Because I know what this game means and if you don't get up for this one, then go somewhere else, go do something else because it is not for you," Norvell said.
"You watch the history, you watch the tradition, you know what it means for the university, you know what it means for the fan base, and this is why you play. This is why you coach. It's to get guys for these moments. Everything we've done up to this point has prepared us. We'll either take advantage of it or we won't.
"Come Saturday at noon, I promise you there will be some emotions on that field. But can we maintain composure? Can we make sure we don't get distracted by all the things that don't make an impact? If we do that, man, it'll be an exciting game to be a part of. I want them to embrace that. I want them to enjoy it."
Florida State at Florida
When: Saturday, noon
Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida
TV/Radio: ESPN/94.9 FM
Reach Curt Weiler at cweiler@tallahassee.com or follow him on Twitter @CurtMWeiler.
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