FSU football's Mike Norvell addresses Lawayne McCoy's costly penalties in Clemson loss

Florida State's 24-10 defeat to the Clemson Tigers in Death Valley was marred by a plethora of aggravating mistakes. From dropped passes to penalties and missed field goals, along with everything in between, the Seminoles melted down as the miscues added up.

Arguably, the most frustrating sequence occurred in the fourth quarter with Florida State trailing Clemson, 24-7. The Seminoles were putting together one of their most productive drives of the night. Then, they shot themselves in the foot.

On a completion where tight end Randy Pittman Jr. moved FSU inside the five, sophomore wide receiver Lawayne McCoy committed an offensive pass interference penalty.

Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn remarked on Sunday that McCoy didn't get the signal before the play. The flag took the Seminoles from the Clemson 3 to the 29. Perhaps understandable in the chaos, however, McCoy would make another crucial error.

Just two plays later, McCoy got into it with Clemson redshirt freshman cornerback Corian Gipson. McCoy was attempting to block Gipson downfield, and it led to some extracurricular activity as both players swiped at each other's helmets after the whistle.

Apparently, McCoy was the one who got caught as he was called for a personal foul. Suddenly, it was 3rd and 34 for the Clemson 38. He had a quick discussion on the sideline with wide receivers coach Tim Harris Jr., but McCoy remained in the game and caught a ten-yard pass that allowed Florida State to hit a field goal.

Regardless, his brutal sequence ended up costing Florida State a touchdown. Some fans wondered why McCoy was still on the field after a pair of penalties.

Mike Norvell Says The Decision Is Made In The Moment

Oct 4, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Lawayne McCoy (7) reacts after a touchdown during the second half against the Miami Hurricanes at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

On Monday, head coach Mike Norvell addressed the situation with McCoy. Norvell says he was watching the play closely.

Both players probably could've been called for a penalty, it just went against Florida State. Norvell believes that's the consequences of the Seminoles being unable to control their emotions.

"I happened to be watching that one. We had two guys that were punching, hand fighting, two guys throw a punch, swing, whatever you want to call that, one guy gets called for it," Norvell said. "You can go back and watch as many plays as you want to play. And that's where: Control your emotions. You have to be in control of you. If we don't swing, maybe we [don't] get the penalty moving forward."

"You put yourself in jeopardy. Obviously, that was a call that the official made. We've got to be in control of us," Norvell added. "That's a young player, second-year, highly emotional game, Lawayne plays his butt off. When he does have the ball, doesn't have the ball, he's really putting everything he has out there. And there's a couple of plays really in that sequence that were negative for us."

Norvell sees this as a learning moment for McCoy. When things get heated in the moment, stay in control.

As for pulling players when mistakes pile up, it comes down to the specific situation. Sometimes Norvell lets guys play through it; in other moments, it's time to bring a player to the sideline.

"It's just one of those, it's a great teaching opportunity for him," Norvell said. "Even with all the emotion, take a deep breath, control you. But there's times, there's some foolish penalties that have been made in past years, guys that I've coached, and sometimes this year, years before, you're going to get pulled."

"If you are doing something that is just blatantly negative to this team because of where you are in the state, well, you're going to get your butt out," Norvell continued. "There's times when guys work through it. Those are all decisions that are made in the moment and based off of what I see and what I feel."

McCoy finished the loss with four catches for 46 yards and Florida State's only touchdown.

During the 2025 season, McCoy has appeared in seven games and made six starts. He's caught 17 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns.

Florida State returns to action against Virginia Tech on Saturday, November 15. The contest will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.

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