The 2026 season has been an interesting one for Florida State so far, with game delays, a near-upset win over Alabama, and the failure to fully put away an FCS program. Week 4 actually resulted in a win for Florida State, but the result was still far from what the expectations are for the program. The Seminoles had a golden opportunity to give plenty of the roster a chance at seeing the field, but the staff squandered the opportunity, with some starters staying in until the bitter end.
Coach Mike Norvell addressed questions about the lack of action some of the backups saw during his Week 5 press conference availability. Norvell admitted that he would have liked to see the depth players out on the field more, and the new issue is not that they did not play much, but rather that there are not many chances left.
Mike Norvell says that Central Arkansas limiting FSU to three second-half possessions before the kneel down "hindered" the repitition he was hoping to get for the offense. "Disappointed" they didn't get some more reps for younger players.
— John Evans (@_jpevans_) September 28, 2026
Mike Norvell made a big mistake by failing to get more of the Florida State roster involved
Florida State is admittedly in an awkward position, with starters who need to continue to work on some issues, and younger players who need to see the field to develop. It is a tough line to walk across, but every program faces a similar situation, and many still find a way to make it work. So far, Norvell has struggled to make the most of those chances at developing the youth in games against New Mexico State and Central Arkansas.
As the season progresses, the overall talent of opposing teams increases; there are very limited opportunities to play the backups, barring any injuries. While the offensive output against Central Arkansas was not where it should have been, there were still plenty of opportunities to get the younger players out on the field.
Florida State came out of the half with a quick, six-play scoring drive with the help of quarterback Ashton Daniels that gave the Seminoles a 24-point lead. The defense got a quick stop, taking just over a minute off the clock, and then Daniels returned to the field for what became the last drive of the quarter for Florida State.
A 24-point swing from an FCS team would have immediately cost Norvell his job, which could be part of the reason why he did not plug in the backups earlier. Norvell's mistake, however, was also just the start of another problem that resulted in the younger players staying on the bench.
Tony White says FSU knew Central Arkansas would be focused on keeping the Noles' offense off the field.
— John Evans (@_jpevans_) September 28, 2026
Was most disappointed in the penalties that contributed to the TD drive.
Says he apologized to the young guys on offense for not being able to get them more reps.
Norvell is not the only person to blame, either, as defensive coordinator Tony White struggled to stop Central Arkansas in the second half. Central Arkansas ran nine-straight run plays in their first drive of the third quarter, draining just over six minutes off the clock. Then, later in the fourth quarter, the Bears again sucked up nearly nine minutes with a 20-play drive.
White noted in his press availability that the drive was a good learning experience for his defense, but the problem is that an FCS program should not be able to do that. White also mentioned he apologized to the team after the drive prevented many of the younger players from seeing more playing time.
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