Florida State’s second day of practice in Jacksonville gave Mike Norvell exactly the kind of answer he was looking for.
After a first day when the defense set the tone, the Seminoles flipped the script Friday during a session built around situational football. Norvell said the offense delivered a sharp response as the team continued its preseason work in Duval.
“Yesterday, defense had a dominant day,” Norvell said. “Today, working situational football, I thought the offense had an incredible response.”
The weather did not quite match Norvell’s preferences - he joked it was “too many clouds and breeze for my liking” - but the coach liked what he saw from a team still trying to build on its mentality through the ups and downs of camp.
“This team has done a really good job with how their mentality has been,” he said Friday. “It’s still about the challenge.
Anybody can have a great mentality in day one, 70 degrees, feels good, great mentality. But it’s when you get knocked down, when you get hit in the face, when you have to deal with the ups and downs of all things.”
Friday’s offensive surge was helped by the receivers, with Jasen Lopez again earning praise for his practice work and Duce Robinson also standing out. Norvell said the quarterbacks had a solid day as well, and he noted that the offensive line made progress too.
Ashton Daniels has mostly taken care of the ball, according to Norvell, though one mistake drew a blunt reminder.
“I let him know about one bad, really, really bad decision yesterday, and I don’t think I’ll see that one again,” Norvell said. “He’s been outstanding when it comes to knowing where to go with the ball, his ownership of the things we’re asking him to do.”
Norvell also praised the defense, saying the group is “night and day from where we were a year ago at this time,” with its understanding, confidence and versatility all showing up in camp.
The Jacksonville trip has been planned as a kind of stand-in for a road week, and Norvell said the staff has been arranging situations to reflect what the Seminoles will face away from home. The off-field setup is part of the point too, giving the team time to build chemistry while living together in dorms.
Former Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis spoke to the team after Thursday’s practice, and Norvell said Travis told the players he could judge every team he played on by how it handled this stretch.
“You’re sitting there in a dorm room and everybody’s in there together, and you got plenty of cinder blocks, and you got a little bit of time on your hand,” Norvell said. “You see guys, just the connectivity, and that’s something I think is so big in today’s age, where there’s so many different stories, so many different journeys.”
“When you’re coming out and your heels are on that goal line and you got to fight for an inch, there’s not a whole lot out there that’s there to save you other than what you and your teammates are willing to do,” he said.
Florida State is scheduled for a lighter workout Saturday before Sunday’s scrimmage, the second of camp. For Norvell, the goal for that session is straightforward.
”I want to see the application from this football team to go and put on display what they ultimately want to be.”
In Other News...
Florida State's Backup QB Battle Just Got Tougher To Ignore
Malachi Marshall arrived at Florida State late after transferring in from Iowa Western Community College, and the timing has made every rep matter. The junior college quarterback missed spring practice, then had to work through an injury during the opening stretch of fall camp, yet he has still done enough to catch the staffs eye while pushing for the backup job behind the Seminoles top quarterbacks.
What makes Marshall so interesting is the rsum he brought with him before ever getting to Tallahassee. He led Iowa Western to a national championship and posted strong numbers at the junior college level, which is part of why Florida State was willing to keep watching even after the slow start to his camp. With the backup battle still open, his progress has become one of the more quietly important storylines for the Seminoles as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Florida States No. 3 Receiver Battle Is Getting Hard To Ignore
During Florida States fall camp in Jacksonville, the receiver competition behind the top options is starting to draw real attention, and freshman Jasen Lopez has worked his way into the mix for the No. 3 role in Mike Norvells offense. Lopez missed spring practice because of basketball commitments, yet he has still stood out for the kind of steady work that tends to earn trust quickly in camp, especially on a depth chart where every route and rep matters.
Jayvan Boggs brings a different case to the battle, with the sophomore already having played in eight games last season and offering the value that comes with experience. For a Seminoles passing game that is expected to be a major factor this fall, the growing competition between Lopez and Boggs is one of the more interesting subplots in camp, and it is not hard to see why the staff is paying close attention. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Is Sending A Clear Fall Camp Message
Competition has been the defining tone of Florida States fall camp, with the Seminoles making it clear that nothing will be handed out and no role is too small to matter. Coaches and players have repeatedly pointed to accountability and a team-first mindset, framing camp as a chance to build a roster that pushes itself instead of leaning on reputation or comfort.
Kam Martin and Mike Norvell have both underscored the same message from different angles: playing time has to be earned, and leadership has to be accepted no matter where a player sits on the depth chart. For a program trying to move past the disappointments of recent seasons, that internal edge may end up being just as important as anything that shows up on the practice field. [Read more 🡒]