It's been a little while since we've done this ... but FSU will be conducting a normal game-week press conference today at noon. We expect to speak with head coach Mike Norvell and coordinators.
Corey will have updates right here beginning around noon.
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"We're back to Game Week. Hopefully we can roll through and actually play one on Saturday. I'm excited to get back out there." Said last week was treated like a bye week, the players had a practice on Sunday. Says he liked the energy they had last week. "I think our guys are continuing to grow. ... Being the last home game of this season, for some of these guys, the older guys, it could potentially be the last home game of their careers. ... It's been a long layoff for our football team, but we're excited about ... getting another chance to kick it off on Saturday."
On Toafili: "I think Lawrence has shown some great flashes of what he's capable of. So excited about his future. .. He's a natural playmaker with the ball in his hands. ... I think you see that confidence that he's really starting to show in practice. ..He's definitely a guy that we believe is going to be one of those building blocks that's going to help the program. ... He's definitely a dynamic playmaker."
"With the CDC development, shortening the quarantine time, it definitely helped us going through the protocols."
On Warren Thompson: "It was a big ending for him in that N.C. State game to make a tough catch in a critical situation. It was a true one on one ball. ... I think that gives him some confidence. ... He's really working hard each and every opportunity he steps on the field. ... I'm looking for him to build upon that, but he needs to show up big for us. I've been pleased with his work and his mindset."
"We're excited to be where we are, we're excited to go out and compete this week."
On young receivers: Said they are coming on here late in the season. Says he's seen "great strides" from Williamson. And same thing with Kentron. "I think he's got a great future in front of him. A very high ceiling. ... he's a guy that hasn't played a ton of football ... every day is a learning experience for him." And he says Robinson has had a "challenging season with smaller injuries that have kept him out." He says the past week was good for him. "We're hopeful in the next couple of weeks that Bryan will have an impact ... he's really shown he can be a bright spot. ... I think he's got some big play ability in him."
"Being such a young team every rep is important to us. ... I'm excited about the games upcoming. We've got to continue to prepare this week so we can execute."
CB depth: "We have other possibilities that could be available. But right now those are the top three in order of how we would go through the game. ... We also do have plans if we need to go beyond that."
That's a wrap for Norvell.
Kenny Dillingham is up next.
"It's basically spring ball esque. ... Reps are reps. We're putting all that knowledge into a bag that we'll be able to pull from in the future. ... Missing the games, those were just great experiences for our guys to prepare. It's not all about Saturday. Our guys have to learn to prepare. ... That's part of maturing."
"You're either getting better or getting worse. ... Every day our football team gets up we're trying to get better, trying to improve. And anytime we can focus that improvement on just us .. and not an opponent ... it's obviously better."
"This is huge. We're trying to get better every day. Every single day we have until now until the end of the season, we better maximize."
"I think we've prepared to play so much, that's one of those things you don't really know until you get out there on Game Day. ... It's not like we took three weeks off. We took a couple of Saturdays off. ... So I don't think rust as being as big a factor."
"The hardest thing for a freshman is to maintain your health. ... Throughout the season sometimes (Toafili) felt great and some weeks he's been tired. ... The rest he's been able to accumulate you're going to see that burst."
On Travis: "Yesterday was the best he's thrown the ball since I've been here. And in my opinion, it wasn't close ... he came out with a purpose. ... His mind must be rejuvinated. ... He was focused and that was the best he's thrown the ball since he's been here."
On WRs: "This last week we got a lot of individual reps with the quarterbacks." Says he thinks the timing is getting better because the quarterbacks are throwing to the same guys over and over now. With the limited numbers. "And them just continuing to get on the JUGS machine." Says he sees them every morning waiting to get on there and get better.
"Six days ago, last Tuesday's practice, we came with something extra. ... Our team ... it just clicked a little bit. I need to sprint on the field like this. Maybe I haven't been doing it as hard as I could. ... Nothing is built in a day, you can't put it in a microwave. ... I think the biggest growth I've seen. Our guys sprinted on the field ... little things like that, that's how you build culture and that's how you build a winning program."
"If our kids aren't studying for final exams without us begging them to do, we're not getting better. ... These next two weeks, if we take two weeks to get better, then we're two weeks better next year."
Says Duke has a 4 man front and a 3 man front. They're simple in the back. Not complicated. They play a lot of press man to man. They want you to have to make contested catches. They're going to challenge WRs and make you beat them. "You don't see them bust very often. .. They don't make mistakes and they make you win those one on ones."
That's a wrap for Dillingham.
John Papuchis is up next.
"I was really encouraged and really excited about the attitude and approach the guys took last week. ... The focus and enthusiasm was there. To me, that's a really positive sign that guys are bought into the vision and where Coach Norvell is trying to take this program."
"If there is one takeaway from 2020 ... is you can't take anything for granted. Whether it's March Madness or the opening day of baseball or how the football season unfolds ... this has been a really challenging year. ... And nobody is taking these opportunities for granted anymore."
Robinson and Kaindoh: "Those two guys I have been really proud of ... there has been no hint of senior-itis ... especially in the case of J-Rob, I've seen him ramp it up .... that is good leadership and everything they do is being modeled by the younger guys behind them ... it's been great to see that they had a very positive response."
"With both of them, and with all of the guys I work with that are older guys, we've touched on it but we've all agreed to ..." talk if they might come back after the season ends. Says they will have deeper discussions once the season concludes.
Says they didn't do as much special teams work as a normal week, but still worked on it. Repped a lot of younger guys in those roles as well. Treated it more like a week of fall camp.
And that's a wrap for Norvell.
Adam Fuller is up next.
"The UVA and Clemson weeks were full blown game weeks." Says they were like normal weeks but you just lost the Saturday. The last week was different because they knew when the week started they wouldn't be playing. "It's been different, just trying to focus on the now with all these guys."
"You never have this long in between games unless it's a bowl game. ... Obviously being on the grass, live tackling ... that's been a different thing we've had to deal with. I really like the energy of the guys, especially last week with the numbers that we had."
"From a message standpoint, we're not changing the course. ... We've had some movement of guys in different positions, now it's availability of who will be there. ... It's definitely been a year that's moved in a bunch of different directions."
On Duke offense: "I think the quarterback is a talented player, but their achilles heel is they turn the ball over more than anyone in the country." Said the RB is averaging 6 ypc ... they've had breakdowns all over .. but they've shown they can run and throw the ball consistently. He says they have to do a good job up front and establish the line of scrimmage. "There is talent on that roster."
On Asante and the CBs: "I enjoyed our year with Asante. He was a pro in how he operated. ... He gave us everything he had. He fought. ... When you come to Florida State, our goal is to develop in all ways. ... Our players have a great amount of respect for that, they see the work ... and we hope that trickles down to some of our players."
"This season is magnified with people in and out of the lineups, but truthfully it happens every year. ... Some guys will get more opportunities. ... It's just about us moving forward with a team approach and the mindset of getting better ... our focus is that straight ahead."
On Hamsah: "I think Ham just needed football back in his life as much as he could ... He's been a part of the reason the energy has been so good around here. ... When you're literally on the grass with these guys ... that's what he's happy about, that's what I'm glad about. We're definitely excited to have Ham back." Says he was as bothered, maybe more so, than anyone in the room when those games got canceled.
On Jarrian Jones: "He has been consistent in his love for football. I thought last week was really good in the practices that we had. ... He's someone that wants to be good. He's working at it. ... He's good for our football team. ... I like what he brings to our football team. ... I do think he's got some ball skill talent when the ball is in the air. ... I think his best football is still ahead of him."
"Marvin is gone, but he's still around. He's still a part of the team. He's still involved. ... Coop is the elder statesmen in there now. ... The NC State game was one of our better technique games inside. I think Coop and the rest of those guys, anytime you lose a good players it's about filling in those gaps."
That's a wrap for Fuller.
And that's a wrap for the day.
Hope you guys enjoyed it! It's Game Week, baby!
Thanks for being here. We truly appreciate it.
Peace. Love.
Clark. Out.
Corey will have updates right here beginning around noon.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"We're back to Game Week. Hopefully we can roll through and actually play one on Saturday. I'm excited to get back out there." Said last week was treated like a bye week, the players had a practice on Sunday. Says he liked the energy they had last week. "I think our guys are continuing to grow. ... Being the last home game of this season, for some of these guys, the older guys, it could potentially be the last home game of their careers. ... It's been a long layoff for our football team, but we're excited about ... getting another chance to kick it off on Saturday."
On Toafili: "I think Lawrence has shown some great flashes of what he's capable of. So excited about his future. .. He's a natural playmaker with the ball in his hands. ... I think you see that confidence that he's really starting to show in practice. ..He's definitely a guy that we believe is going to be one of those building blocks that's going to help the program. ... He's definitely a dynamic playmaker."
"With the CDC development, shortening the quarantine time, it definitely helped us going through the protocols."
On Warren Thompson: "It was a big ending for him in that N.C. State game to make a tough catch in a critical situation. It was a true one on one ball. ... I think that gives him some confidence. ... He's really working hard each and every opportunity he steps on the field. ... I'm looking for him to build upon that, but he needs to show up big for us. I've been pleased with his work and his mindset."
"We're excited to be where we are, we're excited to go out and compete this week."
On young receivers: Said they are coming on here late in the season. Says he's seen "great strides" from Williamson. And same thing with Kentron. "I think he's got a great future in front of him. A very high ceiling. ... he's a guy that hasn't played a ton of football ... every day is a learning experience for him." And he says Robinson has had a "challenging season with smaller injuries that have kept him out." He says the past week was good for him. "We're hopeful in the next couple of weeks that Bryan will have an impact ... he's really shown he can be a bright spot. ... I think he's got some big play ability in him."
"Being such a young team every rep is important to us. ... I'm excited about the games upcoming. We've got to continue to prepare this week so we can execute."
CB depth: "We have other possibilities that could be available. But right now those are the top three in order of how we would go through the game. ... We also do have plans if we need to go beyond that."
That's a wrap for Norvell.
Kenny Dillingham is up next.
"It's basically spring ball esque. ... Reps are reps. We're putting all that knowledge into a bag that we'll be able to pull from in the future. ... Missing the games, those were just great experiences for our guys to prepare. It's not all about Saturday. Our guys have to learn to prepare. ... That's part of maturing."
"You're either getting better or getting worse. ... Every day our football team gets up we're trying to get better, trying to improve. And anytime we can focus that improvement on just us .. and not an opponent ... it's obviously better."
"This is huge. We're trying to get better every day. Every single day we have until now until the end of the season, we better maximize."
"I think we've prepared to play so much, that's one of those things you don't really know until you get out there on Game Day. ... It's not like we took three weeks off. We took a couple of Saturdays off. ... So I don't think rust as being as big a factor."
"The hardest thing for a freshman is to maintain your health. ... Throughout the season sometimes (Toafili) felt great and some weeks he's been tired. ... The rest he's been able to accumulate you're going to see that burst."
On Travis: "Yesterday was the best he's thrown the ball since I've been here. And in my opinion, it wasn't close ... he came out with a purpose. ... His mind must be rejuvinated. ... He was focused and that was the best he's thrown the ball since he's been here."
On WRs: "This last week we got a lot of individual reps with the quarterbacks." Says he thinks the timing is getting better because the quarterbacks are throwing to the same guys over and over now. With the limited numbers. "And them just continuing to get on the JUGS machine." Says he sees them every morning waiting to get on there and get better.
"Six days ago, last Tuesday's practice, we came with something extra. ... Our team ... it just clicked a little bit. I need to sprint on the field like this. Maybe I haven't been doing it as hard as I could. ... Nothing is built in a day, you can't put it in a microwave. ... I think the biggest growth I've seen. Our guys sprinted on the field ... little things like that, that's how you build culture and that's how you build a winning program."
"If our kids aren't studying for final exams without us begging them to do, we're not getting better. ... These next two weeks, if we take two weeks to get better, then we're two weeks better next year."
Says Duke has a 4 man front and a 3 man front. They're simple in the back. Not complicated. They play a lot of press man to man. They want you to have to make contested catches. They're going to challenge WRs and make you beat them. "You don't see them bust very often. .. They don't make mistakes and they make you win those one on ones."
That's a wrap for Dillingham.
John Papuchis is up next.
"I was really encouraged and really excited about the attitude and approach the guys took last week. ... The focus and enthusiasm was there. To me, that's a really positive sign that guys are bought into the vision and where Coach Norvell is trying to take this program."
"If there is one takeaway from 2020 ... is you can't take anything for granted. Whether it's March Madness or the opening day of baseball or how the football season unfolds ... this has been a really challenging year. ... And nobody is taking these opportunities for granted anymore."
Robinson and Kaindoh: "Those two guys I have been really proud of ... there has been no hint of senior-itis ... especially in the case of J-Rob, I've seen him ramp it up .... that is good leadership and everything they do is being modeled by the younger guys behind them ... it's been great to see that they had a very positive response."
"With both of them, and with all of the guys I work with that are older guys, we've touched on it but we've all agreed to ..." talk if they might come back after the season ends. Says they will have deeper discussions once the season concludes.
Says they didn't do as much special teams work as a normal week, but still worked on it. Repped a lot of younger guys in those roles as well. Treated it more like a week of fall camp.
And that's a wrap for Norvell.
Adam Fuller is up next.
"The UVA and Clemson weeks were full blown game weeks." Says they were like normal weeks but you just lost the Saturday. The last week was different because they knew when the week started they wouldn't be playing. "It's been different, just trying to focus on the now with all these guys."
"You never have this long in between games unless it's a bowl game. ... Obviously being on the grass, live tackling ... that's been a different thing we've had to deal with. I really like the energy of the guys, especially last week with the numbers that we had."
"From a message standpoint, we're not changing the course. ... We've had some movement of guys in different positions, now it's availability of who will be there. ... It's definitely been a year that's moved in a bunch of different directions."
On Duke offense: "I think the quarterback is a talented player, but their achilles heel is they turn the ball over more than anyone in the country." Said the RB is averaging 6 ypc ... they've had breakdowns all over .. but they've shown they can run and throw the ball consistently. He says they have to do a good job up front and establish the line of scrimmage. "There is talent on that roster."
On Asante and the CBs: "I enjoyed our year with Asante. He was a pro in how he operated. ... He gave us everything he had. He fought. ... When you come to Florida State, our goal is to develop in all ways. ... Our players have a great amount of respect for that, they see the work ... and we hope that trickles down to some of our players."
"This season is magnified with people in and out of the lineups, but truthfully it happens every year. ... Some guys will get more opportunities. ... It's just about us moving forward with a team approach and the mindset of getting better ... our focus is that straight ahead."
On Hamsah: "I think Ham just needed football back in his life as much as he could ... He's been a part of the reason the energy has been so good around here. ... When you're literally on the grass with these guys ... that's what he's happy about, that's what I'm glad about. We're definitely excited to have Ham back." Says he was as bothered, maybe more so, than anyone in the room when those games got canceled.
On Jarrian Jones: "He has been consistent in his love for football. I thought last week was really good in the practices that we had. ... He's someone that wants to be good. He's working at it. ... He's good for our football team. ... I like what he brings to our football team. ... I do think he's got some ball skill talent when the ball is in the air. ... I think his best football is still ahead of him."
"Marvin is gone, but he's still around. He's still a part of the team. He's still involved. ... Coop is the elder statesmen in there now. ... The NC State game was one of our better technique games inside. I think Coop and the rest of those guys, anytime you lose a good players it's about filling in those gaps."
That's a wrap for Fuller.
And that's a wrap for the day.
Hope you guys enjoyed it! It's Game Week, baby!
Thanks for being here. We truly appreciate it.
Peace. Love.
Clark. Out.
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