Virginia might just defeat Florida State on Saturday because the Cavaliers have an experienced offensive line, depth at running back and a mobile quarterback.

Or Virginia might just win because Florida State commits silly penalties on defense that lead to automatic or easier third-down conversions.

At the risk of being Captain Obvious, the road to improvement on defense is to reduce mistakes. The Osceola staff is of the opinion that the defense may not get better as the season progresses. But the Seminoles do control who plays, how they line up pre-snap, how they communicate or what angles to take in an attempt to make an open-field tackle.

Postgame press conferences and mid-week interviews have been full of frustration for coach Mike Norvell and defensive coordinator Tony White. There have also been moments for offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. But FSU has scored 30 or more points in three games this fall, and it’s clear the defense is far more problematic.

On Wednesday, Norvell began his press conference with an opening statement. He said Tuesday was one of FSU’s best practices in a long time. And he said “you can see the absolute ownership for correction,” as part of his comments. Norvell often mentions the word “ownership,” but we asked him specifically what that meant and what he had seen on the practice field.

“If there’s been an issue or even a reoccurring issue where you see awareness but when you sit there and say, ‘This is fixed or you’re no longer going in the game.’ We have some positions, just full transparency, where we lack that next level of depth,” Norvell said. “We have some really good young guys, we’re excited about the potential, but they’re not ready to go out there and even some of them physically.”

This was the start of, candidly, a three-minute answer that didn’t dive into a lot of specifics in terms of the mechanics of making correction ahead of Saturday’s game vs. Virginia (3:30 p.m. on ESPN2). But it opened the door into what is one of FSU’s biggest issues — the team doesn’t play on game day like it practices, at least what happens on the practice field and in how the coaches have relayed their thoughts.

But to the first part of what Norvell said, it was an admission of a flawed roster. Or the modern challenges of financially spending and creating a roster with as few flaws as possible. Norvell saying FSU lacks that next level of depth is true, especially at important positions on the field.

FSU is perhaps able to withstand the injury to running back Samuel Singleton Jr. because it has depth at running back. The Seminoles have struggled without defensive lineman Darryll Desir, linebacker Blake Nichelson (and at times Caleb LaVallee), while Ashlynd Barker, Quindarrius Jones and others in the secondary have missed time (or a full game) due to injury.

Moving on. Norvell discusses similar mistakes that continue to show up.

“These things have shown up for a week, two weeks. It’s everybody’s responsibility to own it and then to fix it,” Norvell said. “If it’s a point of emphasis, if it’s something that our coaches are emphasizing in the meeting room, working through individual, as we transition to group work, that’s what we want to see.

“That’s what I’ve liked about this week is the fight for those corrections and to make sure that in all phases, whether it’s offense, defense or special teams, whether it’s up front or on the perimeter, vs. the run, vs. the pass, throwing the ball or running the ball, we want to see guys straining for the improvements of the things that have cost us.”

The coaches use the word “strain” often and that’s good, consistent messaging among the staff. We often hear it echoed by players, too.

Norvell seemed to spin it forward toward the end as he wrapped up his thoughts.

“When I say you want ownership of that, you want to feel it,” Norvell said. “You want to be able to come off the practice field and not see the same mistake showing up that you’ve already addressed in a game.”

It was an interesting admission: Norvell might be as frustrated as the fans and media watching elements of the 2026 Seminoles. If there’s one thing we’re curious about on Saturday, it’s whether FSU can play cleaner. That’s especially the case on defense.

Keys to an FSU win

- The Seminoles may not be able to slow down the Cavaliers’ run game. FSU’s run defense is 81st in the FBS (139.7 yards), and that’s even factoring in two opponents (SMU and New Mexico State) that were more pass-centric.

Beau Pribula has completed 76.7 percent of his passes, but he didn’t throw for 200 yards in three of four games. That would suggest an element of balance that Virginia has achieved.

But here’s a request: Sell out to stop the run. Load the box. Keep him contained to the pocket. Force Pribula to complete passes vs. man coverage. If he can, Virginia runs and passes. And wins. If he can’t, FSU’s defense could make stops. And perhaps FSU wins.

- The counter to this is FSU’s ground attack. This is FSU’s first Power 4 game without Samuel Singleton Jr. We saw a glimpse of a rotation against Central Arkansas, one that features Ousmane Kromah, Tre Wisner and Amari Thomas.

A week after Central Arkansas held possession for more than 39 minutes, FSU now faces a Virginia offense that leads the ACC with north of 34 minutes in time of possession. So it would seem important that, well, FSU’s defense creates a few stops (and a turnover) but also that the Seminoles sustain some longer drives.

Norvell’s run-pass balance has skewed run — 147 carries vs. 99 passes. That may not be an ideal season-long formula. But maybe it makes sense on Saturday.

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