Mike Norvell raves about ‘heart’ Florida State showed vs. Alabama

Florida State was a two-score underdog to Alabama on its home turf on Saturday and beat the Crimson Tide by the same amount. It was heart that willed the Seminoles during Week 1, according to head coach Mike Norvell.

“Our players rose to the challenge. I thought you saw great heart, just the way that they, we’ve talked all year, and I’ve used the buzzwords of edge and desperation, that comes from the heart,” Norvell said. “And you saw heart tonight.”

Alabama struck first, but the Seminoles quickly tied the game by the end of the first quarter before scoring the next 10 points to take a 17-7 lead into halftime. The Crimson Tide cut the lead to one touchdown before Florida State put the game out of reach following a 14-yard touchdown run by Gavin Sawchuk.

FSU would take the win 31-17. After last season’s woes, the fans stormed the field after picking up the season opening upset win.

“You saw a team that absolutely loved playing this game together and were physically dominant, emotionally together and they responded, because it wasn’t a perfect game,” Norvell continued. “We talked about that as a team. This is the first step. But it was a big step. Now we’ve gotta go and get better. We have to continue to improve. We’re gonna enjoy tonight.”

Rain was pouring in Tallahassee, so Florida State found its success on the ground. QB Tommy Castellanos was the leading rusher with 78 yards and a touchdown. FSU ultimately scored all four of its touchdowns on the ground en route to victory and finished the game with 236 total rushing yards. Castellanos also threw for 152 yards on 9-of-14 passing.

“It was what Florida State football looks like and feels like,” Norvell said. “It was definitely a great night.”

The Seminoles will move forward in its non-conference schedule with consecutive matchups against E Texas A&M and Kent State before beginning ACC play on Sept. 26 against Virginia on the road. Florida State will have several more opportunities to prove themselves with games against Miami (Oct. 4), at Clemson (Nov. 8) and vs. Florida (Nov. 29) in the regular season finale.

Their upcoming matchup for Week 2 against E Texas A&M is set for Sept. 6 at Noon ET and will air live on the ACC Network. The Seminoles are expected to be heavy betting favorites against its FCS opposition.