FSU football's Mike Norvell pushing 'buttons' to get Seminoles fixed before Miami game

Mike Norvell knows the importance of Florida State football’s upcoming top-25 showdown with Miami.

It’s one of the most famous rivalries in college athletics, and within the context of the season for the No. 18 Seminoles (3-1, 0-1 ACC) and No. 3 Hurricanes (4-0), it’s the biggest game of the season for the two sides.

As the Seminoles prepare for the rivalry showdown and work to clean up the mistakes made in the 46-38 double overtime loss to Virginia, Norvell reiterated the importance of the game against the Hurricanes.

“It’s one of those games. You come to Florida State, and you play in this rivalry, and it’s something that’s going to be remembered for the rest of your life. I feel all of it for every game that I’ve got the chance to be a part of,” Norvell said during his weekly press conference.

“I told the guys last night, it’s a blessing to be here, to be able to be a part of this, and to know that you are going to get through the results of all things that you’ve done up to this point. What’s going to be able to take place this week in our preparation, and then for those three and a half hours come Saturday night, that’s going to give you a lifetime to be able to remember and to be able to reflect upon.”

Mike Norvell pressing ‘buttons’ to get Virginia errors ‘corrected’

After the loss to Virginia, one in which the Seminoles struggled to finish plays and at times deal with what Norvell called the first “real adversity” the team has faced, the game against Miami takes center stage.

A week removed from facing the nation’s fifth-ranked offense, FSU, which has the top offense in the country, faces the 29th-ranked offense in Miami. Norvell, and both coordinators Tony White and Gus Malzahn, stressed that some of the mistakes and mental errors that showed up against the Cavs can’t happen this week.

While Norvell said that a different outcome on certain plays could have changed the result, he acknowledged that it wouldn’t change the need for improvement. The Seminoles posted a season-high 15 missed tackles, turned the ball over three times, and allowed a season-high 440 yards of total offense, all of which the coaching staff aims to address before kickoff.

“It was one of those games that you take 20 to 30 plays throughout it and anything, anyone goes different, your final result is obviously going to be changed,” Norvell said. “It wouldn’t have changed the overall areas of improvement and things that we’re going to need to correct, because obviously there are some things that showed up that is unacceptable to what we expect out of ourselves and how we want to play and how we want to finish in all regards.”

Praise has been given by the coaching staff for the Seminoles’ response, especially offensively with 514 yards of total offense, to the 14-0 deficit against Virginia, fighting to take that game to double overtime. It was a response to adversity that Norvell believed the team was capable of, but he saw some things that needed correction.

While the response ultimately fell short, Norvell said he and the staff are pushing “buttons” and demanding more of the players, who are holding each other accountable, according to Norvell.

“The buttons have been pressed. I can tell you every person that had to sit on that plane Friday night after that game, everybody was feeling a sort of way. You can have your feelings, but we’re going to sit there and say, these are the things that absolutely have to get corrected,” Norvell said. “You get them done ‘or,’ you know, and that ‘or’ will not be good if I’m not seeing that progression, for whatever individual it is, because I believe in what these guys have done. I believe in the position they put themselves in, and I’m excited for them.

“Nobody likes coming off of a loss. Especially a game that we felt in it, before it, even after it, like, man, that game was there for us. You know what, we earned that loss, and it sucks to say it. It sucks to have to go through it. Now what do you do with it?”

How to watch FSU football vs. Miami

When: Saturday, Oct. 6 / 7:30 p.m.

Where: Doak Campbell Stadium / Tallahassee, Florida

Watch: ABC

FSU football vs. Miami history

All-time: Miami holds the all-time advantage with a 36-33 record.

At Doak: The Seminoles are 12-16 vs. Miami at Doak

In Miami: FSU is 21-20 on the road against Miami.

Last 10: The series is split 5-5 in the last ten games, with FSU winning three of the last five, but most recently losing to Miami 36-14 in 2024.

FSU football 2025 schedule

Games with an asterisk are ACC games.

• August 30: vs. Alabama, W, 31-17
• September 6: vs. East Texas A&M, W 77-3
• September 13: Bye
• September 20: vs. Kent State, W, 66-10
• September 26: at Virginia*, L 46-38 2OT
• October 4: vs. Miami*, (shop tickets)
• October 11: vs. Pittsburgh*, (shop tickets)
• October 18: at Stanford*, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
• October 25: Bye
• November 1: vs. Wake Forest*, (shop tickets)
• November 8: at Clemson*
• November 15: vs. Virginia Tech*, (shop tickets)
• November 21: at NC State*, 8 p.m. (Friday)
• November 29: at Florida (shop tickets)

Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at LR*****@*****tt.com or on Twitter @__liamrooney

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU football Mike Norvell zeros in on fixing key issues ahead of Miami