Memphis 20, Florida State 12
MIKE NORVELL: Starting off, congratulations to Memphis. Good win for them. They did a good job throughout the course of the game.
You know, for us and our team, you know, extremely disappointed with the outcome. Extremely disappointed the way we played at time. The things that we work and emphasize throughout the course of the week, you know, pre-season, off-season, things that are critically important to being successful are not showing up as consistent as we need them to be.
Obviously offensively today very disappointing performance. Never able to really get much going. Second half we were able to move the ball but had a couple explosive plays up still had too many negatives.
They did a good job in the first half with some of their pressure packages; we had a couple turnovers, missed opportunities, you know, dropped balls. Just mistakes that don't allow you to play winning football.
We came out third quarter, being able to get a big play, get down and score a touchdown, move the ball, got in the red zone. Need to be able to finish. Had a mistake there inside the five that hurt us.
Obviously not able to finish there at the end. You know, thought the defense had good moments. Still too many times we're not getting off the field in third down situations. We had some mistakes, new guys that really got tested today just with our depth.
We had guys that went down on both sides of ball. Lost Darius Washington pre-game. Forced some moving pieces there within the offensive line. You know, linebackers go down, obviously opportunities for guys to rise up and seize the moment.
Some guys did. Then obviously some guys obviously got to make sure we're doing all the things in our preparation to allow us to go out there and play the level we're capable of playing.
I do believe that we're a much better team than what we're showing. Obviously it still comes down me being able to get that out of these guys and it show up on game day.
Just disappointed that I've not been able to get more out of what I believe this team is. You know, going to continue to work at it. I believe in who we have. I believe in what they can do.
But we got to be able to transition the positive things we see on the practice field. It's got to be able to translate on to game day.
You know, obviously that's going to be a lot of evaluation, continued evaluation. Coming off a bye week; that's what we did. I thought we would have a much better performance than we did here today. All three phases had moments of just not looking like and not playing the way we're capable of.
Take questions.
Q. Mike, how do you do things differently or approach things differently to get the results that you expect from the practice that you're not getting translating to games?
MIKE NORVELL: You know, been doing this for a while, and, you know, there is times where you see guys playing, or as we talked, pressing, obviously trying to do too much. We try to simplify communication, try to make sure that we're doing things that guys have shown throughout that work to be consistent and to be able to translate.
We will continue to evaluate that. Definitely know what it takes to win games. I know what it takes for a team to go out there and be able to execute and play at a high level. We all have to do a better job of what we're doing throughout the course of the week. Obviously challenge the players, coaches, because we can't continue to come into games and then see things that absolutely are not a part of what we and who we are show up.
And, you know, so we all have to prepare better. We all got to make sure that we get to game day, that it is our best foot forward. These guys, they haven't stopped working. I mean, you guys are at practice. They do work.
Obviously the transition to the game day, we've got to do a better job making sure that -- whether it's the communication, whether it's the understanding, the reaction, and then just being confident in the moment and go make the play.
I mean, shows up with missed opportunities, and obviously we have to be better in that situation.
Q. You guys obviously mentioned the dropped passes. To have 67 yards in a half, have you ever had an offense that struggled like this to do much of anything?
MIKE NORVELL: Have I ever? Sure. Probably at some point. You know, yeah, it wasn't -- I mean, obviously we did not -- turn the ball over a couple times, turnovers matter. Turn the ball over on the second play the game. That's a big play.
We have the interception, pressure, arm got hit, you know, had an opportunity on the play. But when you have those things and you have couple big drops in moments, it kills drives pretty quick.
We thought we did a good job coming our nut the third quarter and hit the explosive play. Moved the ball there in the second half but we got to finish drives and eliminate mistakes that put us in challenging situations because of TFLs pressures. I mean, obviously, like I said, it's all of us, so...
Q. Coach, it's clear to hear the disappointment in your voice. Wondering the message to the team at halftime when you were down ten points and after the game?
MIKE NORVELL: At halftime, you have to go play the next play. You get caught up looking at scoreboard, get caught up -- there no secret the offense struggled in the first half. Even that, there are games that one side of a ball might struggle, and we got to have each other's back and make sure we're responding and controlling the things we can control in those situations.
That was my message to them. Didn't matter offense, defense, special teams, we needed to be able to go out there and have the game changing plays. Whether it's defensively -- it was great seeing the interception that we got.
But we also had three turnovers there, missed opportunities there. Then obviously the critical mistakes that we've got get corrected.
And so after the game, you know, I challenge all of us. You know, the things that we're doing, they have toe translate to the game. The things that we're being asked to do, the things that I know we can do, has to translate to the game.
We're going to continue to evaluate that in every aspect. Played three games and haven't won any of them. Everything is under evaluation. Everything is going to be continued to look at whether it's scheme, whether it's personnel, all of it.
We've got to go take positive steps. It's got to show up on game day. We got to put this team in a position to win games. I absolutely believe that it can.
Q. I know the offensive problems goes beyond DJ, but do you ever consider or do you consider going forward just to see if Brock can bring a spark and maybe change some things with everyone?
MIKE NORVELL: Ultimately, you know, we go through a lot of work. The things we're doing, I got a lot of confidence in the guys that are in that quarterback room. Also, you know, I mean, got to be able to help the guy out there as well.
Throw a ball and hit somebody in the hands, got to be able to catch it. If we're making a right read, being able to put the ball in -- where it's supposed to be.
We all have challenges. It's easy to point to one person and say, this has to be better. But at the end of the day, we all have to be better. Always evaluating every part of it. The way which work in practice, things we do. We got to make sure that we're helping each other go out there and play to the best ability that we can.
Q. On that subject, Mike, how much would it help the run game as a whole to have a quarterback that was more of a mobile threat? And then also, the second part, I guess explain the rationale for going for two after the touchdown.
MIKE NORVELL: You know, obviously the quarterback as a run threat, you know, is something that we always look at. If we get opportunities to be able to take a little bit of pressure off. Today there was times that they were bringing a lot of pressures and being able to try to count -- work to get the ball out on the perimeter.
You know, missing a block, missing an opportunity, those are things we got to be better at. You know, obviously the quarterback run game, you know, we've had a quarterback here last few years that was a real reactionary runner, keeping plays alive and things that happened.
But at the end of the day it's always a part of what we look at, how we evaluate it, and the best ways to be able to attack. But and then for the rational for going for two, when you're in that situation, obviously we're playing to go win the game. You know, that's -- you're down 11. That's an opportunity to get the two point conversion and touchdown, field goal with an extra point to win.
If you don't get it, then you have to go for two point conversion twice. Statistically, in the history of this game it's going to be at to a little bit above 50% of two point conversions. I felt good about the call that we had.
Obviously didn't play out the way that we were hoping. We got stopped short. But we score a touchdown, and the thought was to go for two. Weren't trying to play, all right, if we get in this situation we're going to tie it up. You go to play to win it.
So I would still do it again. Down 11, you go for two. Down nine, touchdown, you win.
Q. I know you lost Jeremiah before the BC game; Darius today. I guess I don't know if that explains -- I know you thought the offensive line was going to be a real strength of this team. What has not been working about that unit? You think they've been missing Alex on game day? Something not connecting? What has been the disconnect there?
MIKE NORVELL: I mean, obviously different guys, different positions. You know, we've got to do a better job of trusting our eyes, technique, the fundamental elements, especially guys that maybe haven't played as much.
But obviously we're not playing to the standard what I believe that we're capable of. We all get to look at that. I mean, the position I'm putting those guys, obviously things we're asking them to do, I mean, I do believe that in that group, the depth we have, what those guys can accomplish.
We have to do a better job for that to be able to translate consistently throughout the course of the game. When you have injuries, you know, it is a lot of the moving pieces. That's part of this game, part of what it is.
You know, obviously Alex has a tremendous presence as a leader, offensive coordinator, you know, O-line coach. I think Gabe has done a really good job of being able to work with those guys throughout this time and unfortunate situation.
At the end of the day we got to be able to take the things we're doing and be confident of that in the moment on game day.
Q. Is the amount of touches the running backs have had on the ground the last couple weeks a matter of game flow, what defenses are doing, efficiency?
MIKE NORVELL: Yeah, some of it is both. We had a plan to work to try to be good in the run game, to be able to run the football, have touches.
You know, they did a good I've been in their pressure. They were zero blitzing us, coming off both edges. You don't have enough hats to block what it is, so you have to be able to take things on the perimeter, got to be able to get the ball out in some of those situations.
So when we did that, we were not as productive for whatever reason. We didn't make them pay when it came to that. You know, I thought there were some good elements in what we did in the run game from time to time, but obviously we got to be able to be better in those moments.
Q. Coach, through three games have you been satisfied with the team's body language and emotional response?
MIKE NORVELL: That's one thing I continue to challenge. I know throughout the -- any time you don't have success, you know, you look to are they willing to work? What's the mindset? What is the attitude? How are they in meetings? How are their eyes.
That's not changed in my perspective. I'm around these guys every single day. You know, do I think there are times that we get tight as a team? Yes. That's something that I mean, I try to emphasize, try to create. When things didn't go well, I mean, those are the times you got to rise yourself up to go in -- it's like over achieving, but just achieving to the best of your ability to go make that play, to be able to be the spark or the -- you know, the ignition to the flip of momentum.
I tell teams all the time, momentum takes one play. That's it. That's all it takes to change it. You know, we just obviously have had some opportunities that we have needed to respond in those situations. But I think from their attitude and approach and in the locker room, we are all disappointed.
But we continue to work and pour into each other.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports