Mike Norvell speaks out as pressure mounts during FSU football's slump

The Florida State Seminoles dropped out of the AP Top 25 ahead of Week 8 after climbing to No. 8 and sliding to No. 25 before ultimately going back to being unranked.

FSU is on a three-game losing streak that has put the spotlight on head coach Mike Norvell as he tries to turn his program around again.

Norvell Says External Pressure Fuels His Vision for Florida State

Oct 4, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell before a game against the Miami Hurricanes at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Myers-Imagn Images | Robert Myers-Imagn Images

As the noise outside the program grows louder and the pressure mounts, Norvell didn’t deflect or shy away from addressing it. Instead, he made it clear that expectation, both internal and external, is part of what fuels him.

"So the internal is there, but it's also because of what I get to represent," Norvell said to the media on Monday. "I mean, being the head coach here, I want it all. I want this program to be seen and celebrated. I want us to win every damn game, every day. I want all that we do, how we represent it, and within the community, within the development of these student-athletes."

Norvell has made it clear that he understands what meets the standard and what doesn’t, and after the last three outings, most in Tallahassee could list exactly where those standards slipped. Still, rather than pushing back on the outside noise, he's welcomed it.

"That external (pressure)?" Norvell said. "I want that too, because I don't want to be at a place where there's no expectation, where there's no pride, where there's no people that I care about that I want them to have the joy for what this program means,"

"I know what this program means. I know what it stands for, and I know my responsibility in that," Norvell added. "And so that’s where I put the pressure on myself and everybody within this program, for us to show up and for it to look a certain way."

How Florida State Handles Pressure Will Shape What Comes Next

Oct 11, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Ousmane Kromah (32) is tackled by Pittsburgh Panthers linebacker Braylan Lovelace (0) during the second half at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

With expectations crashing up against reality, Norvell pointed to something beyond scheme or execution, the ability of young players to grow through pressure, not away from it.

"When it comes to this football team and these players and the work that they put in and their careers and all of it, that's going to be life," Norvell said. "You're going to have tough and challenging situations that show up, and what you do in those moments, how you respond in those situations, that's going to define where your future goes."

"You'll see teams in college football, where there have been times when you get caught up, you get distracted," Norvell continued. "Even with all the want to and the desire, you see guys that hesitate or are caught up and try not to mess up. And they're not putting their best out there because of the fear of failure or the fear of judgment."

The Seminoles will have their next chance to respond on the road this Saturday as they travel west, with a 10:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Stanford, revealing whether the pressure turns into progress or continues to linger.

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