In Mike Norvell's last two press conferences after non-scrimmage Florida State football practices, the message was quite similar.
He wasn't seeing enough of an edge, enough consistent effort and execution, or enough desperate striving from his players to improve.
It sounds like the Seminoles heard his challenge and responded to it at Thursday's practice.
"We did not lack intensity today. That was a good, good practice in a sense of guys coming out with purpose," Norvell began Thursday's press conference by saying. "I think sometimes the intensity got (a bit high), we've got to make sure we're maintaining control of emotions at times. But I thought it was good work today."
The final tune-up practice before Friday afternoon's third scrimmage of spring camp sounds like it could even be described as chippy. In particular, Norvell mentioned early-enrollee freshmen still getting acclimated to FSU as players who perhaps didn't always maintain emotional control.
But the FSU head coach sure didn't seem mad or frustrated about a practice where he had to tell his players to chill a bit after a few recent practices where he had to push them for more.
"You want guys that are competing to win. We're trying to give plenty of moments to put that on display," Norvell said. "You want to win the right way and do it the right way, but I want to see guys that fight to win. So if it gets chippy, so be it. Be in control, be disciplined. That's where there were some times where we weren't as clean in that."
One play Norvell highlighted that stood out to him from Thursday's practice was a "big-time block" delivered by Tennessee transfer wide receiver Squirrel White. While he's just getting back into action from a PCL sprain he suffered at Tennessee and is among the smaller players on the FSU roster at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, White apparently had a big perimeter block to spring a ballcarrier for more yards.
Perimeter blocking was a major issue for FSU's wide receiver room last season. But, in reality, so was physicality as a whole. Even in games where FSU had a sizable talent advantage over its opponent last fall, you wouldn't have been able to tell from how out-muscled the Seminoles were in almost every game they played.
So when Norvell was asked if those intense, physical traits are one of the biggest things he's trying to ensure are in place this offseason, he responded adamantly.
"Hell, yes. You can take all the nice, pretty plays you want to draw up and all the defenses. But if you don't chase the ball, if you don't play with pad level, explosiveness, strike, run your feet, knock people back, if you're not going to bring that, then it's just things that sound good," Norvell said. "I want to feel Florida State football. That is the demand and the expectation. A lot of work that goes into that."
As for that third spring scrimmage on Friday, it sounds like Norvell wants to see the Seminoles unlock even another level of intensity.
"I want it ramped up (Friday). We're going goal line, red zone. It's not going to be the longest practice we've had," Norvell said. "It'll probably be one of the shortest practices we've had. Usually within the spring, we try to have a practice to remember. Tomorrow is going to be the one I want them to remember."
