Mike Norvell reaffirms belief in Florida State players after Clemson loss

Florida State has lost five of its last six games, but head coach Mike Norvell hasn’t lost faith in his team. After the Seminoles’ 24-10 loss to Clemson on Saturday, Norvell reaffirmed his confidence in his team’s ability to finish the season strong.

“I believe in this team. I believe in the playmakers we have,” Norvell said. “I believe in the guys we have. It sucks to lose the games that we’ve lost. I know the work and investments that they’re pouring in. I know as a staff what we’re doing. We’ve got to get the job done.”

Mistakes were the thorn in Florida State’s side against Clemson. The Seminoles recorded more yards of offense than Clemson, but committed two turnovers compared to the Tigers’ zero. Additionally, FSU was called for five penalties, while Clemson only drew two flags all game.

FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos‘ passes weren’t always on-target in the loss. He completed just 23-of-his-43 pass attempts for 250 yards and a touchdown, while throwing an interception. Florida State never found the end zone in the second half.

With the loss, Florida State fell to 4-5 on the season and 1-5 in conference play. The Seminoles must win their next three games if they want to finish the regular season with a winning record. It’s been a disappointing campaign for the Seminoles, who were ranked as high as No. 8 in the country earlier this season.

“I hurt for them and I hurt for this football team,” Norvell said. “At the end of the day, you come on the road and sometimes you’ve got to find a way. I believe throughout it. There’s going to be plenty of times throughout every game that you’ll miss something. Just being able to flush it and go to the next one. It wasn’t just one consistent player or one person.

“When those things show up, like I said, it’s hard to overcome. They made the plays and our guys fought and pushed. There are just too many things left out there.”

While this season has been an improvement from the Seminoles’ 2-10 finish last year, it’s been a far cry from the program’s 13-1 record in 2023. Now, Norvell is on the hot seat to turn things around in Tallahassee.

On Saturday, Mike Norvell and Co. will look to bounce back as they square off against Virginia Tech at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will air live on the ACC Network.