LINK

quote:
Q. So many unknowns with that LSU team, entirely new coaching staff, new players. How valuable having that year to be able to study? What did you learn from the extensive study and how did that team grow last year into the off-season?

quote:
MIKE NORVELL: They're really good. That was a good team that we played in our week two. They ended up growing, gelling together. Obviously that's evidenced in winning the SEC West last year.

This is a team that they are very talented. Offensively they return a lot of production, some guys that were young that got thrown out there early. You saw them develop.

Obviously Daniels is the quarterback, he's a very talented young man not only with his arm but what he can do with his legs. You have to account for him in every way.

You saw their running game continuing to take form as the season went on. Probably going to be one of the best receiving cores that we play all year here kicking off the season. It's a very talented and deep group.

They've got quality tight ends. On the defensive front, linebackers, Harold Perkins didn't play much against us last year. One of the more dynamic players in all of college football.

You see the elements of all things offensively and defensively. I mean, they did much of the same of what I believe we did: they got better throughout the course of year. They won some close games. Obviously they built their confidence in what they were being asked to do, how they were asked to do it.

I mean, it's going to be a heck of a matchup. It's going to have a championship-type feel to it just because you have two teams that have experience and I think are really talented.

Q. This will be the third straight year you're the first game of the year for a Brian Kelly-coached team. Is there enough familiarity that gives you comfort or still an element of surprise in the beginning of the game?

quote:
MIKE NORVELL: Coach Kelly is a great coach. He's done it for a long time, had success everywhere that he's ever been. Every year presents its own challenges. It's one of those things that you expect to go against, you understand there is familiarity. We've competed for years even before I was at Arizona State. Competed with him when I was at Tulsa. Got a chance to see how he operates and what he does within his program. He does a wonderful job in adapting to his personnel of who he has, what they do, whether it's offensively, defensively, special teams-wise. That's what makes great coaches. He's established himself as that throughout his career. So we have to do a wonderful job in our preparation, in our adjustments throughout the course of the game.

First games, they're always unique in their own right. You end up preparing for so many different things that you got to truly focus on yourself.

That's one of our big points of emphasis, make sure that fundamentally, technique-wise, communication, situationally you're aware. We got to be at our best, then we'll be able to react to all the things that they do.

Q. Obviously Maason Smith is out for this game. What impact does him not playing have? How deep is that room on the defensive line?

quote:
MIKE NORVELL: It's one of the better defensive lines in the country. Truly is. Unfortunate for that young man to miss this game. He's a special player. In our game last year, I think it was the sixth, seventh play of the game when he got hurt. He's one of those guys that for everything I've ever known of him, I mean, he's a guy that you want to root for in how he does things. Just unfortunate that he's not going to be able to be a part of this game. It does make an impact because he is very impactful.

When you look at their defensive line, this is a deep room. This is one that's very talented. They know how to impact the quarterback. They've done a wonderful job throughout the years. Even some of the other newcomers that have joined the program, we got a chance to see from their previous institutions. This is going to be a deep group that definitely has talent.

Asked to Alex Atkins FSU OC/OL Coach

What challenges does LSU's defensive line present?

"I think (LSU senior defensive analyst Bob) Diaco does a good job of blocking structure. They get blocked, but they don't stay blocked. They understand leverage, they know how to attack schemes as far as if they're getting base blocked, they know how to play that. If they get reach blocked, they know how to counter that. They also have that uncanny way of understanding the leverage of the defense and understanding where they can go to go win and make tackles. They allow the d-line to play and make plays and not just kind of clog holes, which presents a new challenge."

How do you prepare for a guy like Harold Perkins?

quote:
"Harold was a guy that throughout the season started to show up. We didn't see him a lot game 1 because he was a freshman. But then you saw when they put him out there his athletic ability to just go up and under blocks, to change direction, lateral quickness. I’m anticipating he's gotten a lot stronger. But he's a guy that we got to be aware of where he is on the field because he's shown the ability to play linebacker, spy quarterbacks, rush the passer. Unique ability just to kind of be everywhere. Back in the day we used to say ‘see ball, get ball guy.’ So he is a talent and we have to be aware and make sure we understand where he is on the field at all times. He’s a good football player."