‘That's the game’ ... LSU already hot topic for FSU football players
CHARLOTTE -- Florida State's football players won't officially report for preseason camp until Tuesday, but the Seminoles already are hearing plenty about their early season showdown with LSU in New Orleans.
They hear it from their friends, from fans and even from family.
"It's LSU, LSU, LSU," redshirt junior defensive tackle Fabien Lovett said. "Like we're not playing Duquense first."
Technicalities, technicalities.
Indeed, Florida State's 2022 season will in fact begin with a home game against FCS opponent Duquesne on Aug. 27. But it is the Seminoles' Sept. 4 date with the Tigers that has everyone's attention.
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It came up several times Wednesday, as FSU head coach Mike Norvell and three of his players spoke with the media at ACC Kickoff here in Charlotte.
And the Seminoles are clearly looking forward to it as well.
"We've got to lock in on Duquesne like you said. Get them out the way," redshirt junior safety Jammie Robinson said. "Go in, pop it off ... and then when it's LSU, it's LSU. That's the game.
"That's the game everybody gonna look at Florida State to see what Florida State is. And we're gonna show everybody what we [are], for real."
With FSU coming off of four straight losing seasons, the LSU game isn't only a high-profile matchup against a big-name opponent, it's also an opportunity for the Seminoles' players and coaches to prove their program is heading back in the right direction.
Florida State fans showed how excited they are about the game by quickly selling out their allotment of 30,000 tickets to the Caesars Superdome.
Even Norvell, who undoubtedly will be reminding his players to focus first on Duquesne, admitted that squaring off against the Tigers in their home state will be a special opportunity.
"We're excited to be on that stage again," Norvell said. "Coming into this year and the national spotlight game, that's why you come to Florida State. To be a part of those games. To be able to be on that stage. Our guys are excited. They know the challenges that are ahead of us."
LSU isn't exactly riding high into the game, which will be its season opener. The Tigers went 6-7 in 2021 and 5-5 the year before that.
Ed Orgeron, who was at the helm when the Tigers won the national championship in 2019, is long gone. And now they're led by former Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, who is implementing new schemes on offense and defense and will be looking to a slew of new transfers to help with the transition.
FSU went up against Kelly's Irish teams in three of the past four seasons.
"Coach Kelly does an incredible job in preparing his football teams ...," Norvell said. "It's always a great battle. I've got a lot of respect for how he runs programs and the things that he does.
"They've got a lot of great athletes. So it's going to be exciting to see that matchup. I know that we're all looking forward to it."
Because of that Week Zero opener against Duquesne, FSU's players will report for preseason camp about a week earlier than most schools. The Seminoles are expected to hold their first practice on Wednesday, July 27.
And while most of the talk they're hearing is about their big game in New Orleans, FSU's players insist they're going to keep that on the back burner until the appropriate time.
After losing to an FCS opponent early last season in Jacksonville State, the Seminoles clearly don't want to let something like that happen again.
"I ain't tripping. I'm focused straight on Duquesne. The first game," Lovett said. "I'm gonna be watching film on Duquesne. I'll focus for LSU when it's time to get LSU. At the end of the day, I'm thinking about it. But my first goal is Duquesne. Winning that first game."
Then, the Tigers will have FSU's full attention. And the Seminoles will get a chance to show that their 2022 squad is much different than recent years.
"After we get done with that first game ... everybody's gonna know what Florida State is after that second game," Robinson said. "Everybody's gonna know. That's all I've got to say. Once that game's over, everybody'll know what we on. What we've got planned."
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