Florida State Head Coach Mike Norvell Talks About What They're Expecting to See From Georgia Tech's Defense

Georgia Tech and Florida State kick off the college football season on Saturday

Apr 20, 2024; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Trever Jackson (10) and head coach Mike Norvell during the Spring Showcase at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports / Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

It if finally game week for the college football world and the game that is going to kick everything off is between Georgia Tech and Florida State in Dublin, Ireland. The Yellow Jackets are hoping to pull an upset when they face off against the defending ACC champions and they are entering the game as a double-digit underdog.

One of the most interestintg aspects of this game will be seeing Georgia Tech's new look defense vs Florida State's offense. The Yellow Jackets had one of the worst defenses in the country last year, especially against the run. Head coach Brent Key overhauled the defensive staff in the offseason including hiring former Duke defensive coordinator Tyler Santucci. Florida State head coach Mike Norvell is one of the top playcallers in the country and Georgia Tech's defense is going to be tested.

When talking with the media today, Norvell talked about Santucci and what the Seminoles are expecting to see from the Yellow Jackets defense:

"Well, obviously when you play against really good coaches, and I think definitely that Tyler is a really good coach and does a wonderful job, mix their personnel, they'll be able to mix what they do schematically to the guys that they have. Yes, we've done a lot of studying on what they did at Duke a year ago, but we also know that when you see the amount of versatility that he can deploy that there's a wide variety of options of what we might see. For us, it's making sure that we play with our eyes, we can adapt, we can adjust. We trust our rules and the things that we do against whatever scheme that might show up. A lot of respect for him and just the job that he does. But also how he ties that to the personnel and the players that he has there at Georgia Tech. You look, they have a good number of returners, but they also have some guys that have transferred in that I think are really talented players that are joining that defense. I know he'll have a great plan in place as we kick it off."

Last season, Georgia Tech went from one of the worst offenses in the ACC to one of the best. Could the defense do something similar? Here is what Santucci had to say when asked:

"Yeah, I think our goal is to be the best version of the 2024 Georgia Tech defense that we can become. We've talked about that since day one. We don't put numbers on it. We don't set goals per se of like, "Oh, if we don't hit this goal, we didn't accomplish anything." We talk about like continual improvement, he accumulation of small wins over time. We are trying to build habits and routines each and every day so that we have the ability to improve. So I guess, yeah, we want to get better for sure. We want to improve. That's why we're here as a D staff. But just the foundational value of that thing is like, let's just do it every day and let the results happen when they come. So yes, we want to get better."

In one season at Duke (2023), Santucci directed the ACC’s top-ranked scoring defense, allowing just 19.0 points per game, which was good for 16thnationally. The Blue Devils also ranked among the nation’s top 50 in rushing defense, passing defense, total defense, tackles for loss, third-down defense, fourth-down defense, and red-zone defense. Duke allowed a total of just 10 points in a pair of wins over teams that finished the season in the top 25 – No. 20 Clemson (28-7) and No. 21 NC State (24-3) – and finished 8-5 overall after a 17-10 win over Troy in the 2023 Birmingham Bowl.