Mike Norvell Thinks Highly Of Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman, Riley Leonard

The Seminoles are headed to South Bend for a prime-time matchup against the Fighting Irish.

Tommy Mire - NoleGameday

Florida State is set to go on the road this weekend to face off against a top-10 team in Notre Dame. While FSU's season hasn't turned out the way anyone expected, they have a chance to knock the Fighting Irish off their No. 10 ranking and show some progress after going 1-8.

Head coach Mike Norvell met with the media on Tuesday to talk about the upcoming matchup and the excitement that his team has leading up to the 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

"Everything that we have for today to be prepared for what Saturday holds, and, you know, you could take everything that’s led up to this moment, but we get a chance to go run out there on Saturday night with all eyes on us, and to show the improvement, to show the best of what this team has," Norvell said. "I've got a lot of confidence in them. If we're able to apply that and just go cut it loose and play, it's going to be a great atmosphere and a lot of fun."

Florida State has struggled offensively all season, and Notre Dame's defense ranks inside the top ten when it comes to points allowed per game, yards allowed per game, points per play, yards per play, red zone scoring, and 3rd down conversions In particular, their secondary has had lots of success under defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, and that favors poorly against an FSU wide receiver room that hasn't been able to get into a rhythm all season.

READ MORE: Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman Not Underestimating Struggling Florida State

"They're definitely a very talented secondary," Norvell continued. "They do such a good job with the variations of coverage, whether it's man or the different zone elements they bring. The guys are confident in their technique; you don't see them press very much. They’re going to be aggressive in keeping leverage and getting hands on receivers. So, it's going to take our best game at receiver against this group."

While this will be the first time Norvell and Marcus Freeman face each other at Notre Dame and Florida State, they do have a history of facing off at previous stops. Norvell said that he has a lot of respect for Freeman as a coach, noting that his work ethic has gotten him to where he is today and that the team he's built is a reflection of that.

"He's a great coach, and he's earned every opportunity that he's had. I have a lot of respect for him and for what they've done, but really how he's done it. We're not ultimately close friends or anything, but I do respect the work. I respect the character. I respect the person I've been able to watch and study in preparation to play," Norvell said. "That shows up in his teams. He's earned everything he's ever gotten, and I think he's showing that with what he's doing now."

Freeman won't be the only familiar opponent on the field this Saturday. The 'Noles saw Leonard last year when he was at Duke. However, he reaggravated an injury and didn't finish the game. He has 1,360 passing yards and eight touchdowns to three interceptions and will definitely be a factor for the FSU defense.

"He's playing with the most confidence here later in the year that he's had. Sometimes, when you change into a new place or a new system, it does take a little while, but they're playing at a very high level and coming off a few dominant performances where they've shown that," Norvell said of Leonard. "Obviously, we have a lot of respect for him as a player."

Norvell's full interview can be seen below.

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READ MORE: Florida State Releases Nine 'Notes To Know' For Road Game Against Notre Dame

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