A favorite line from Ted Lasso: Be a goldfish.
The theory is goldfish have a short memory and don’t let negative results linger. When coach Lasso delivers the line to a talented young soccer player, it doesn’t land as sage wisdom immediately. Eventually? It lands and they are words that resonate.
But “be a goldfish” is not unlike the cliches about cornerbacks, who we’ve often said need to have a short memory. Giving up a reception isn’t good. But don’t let it get in a corner’s head and affect the rest of the game.
Or Tiger Woods’ remark that you shouldn’t let one bogey become two. Learning that what happens on the 11th green shouldn’t impact your tee shot on the 12th. Or the putt on the green a few minutes later.
Or FSU football, after a stunning reversal from a 14-0 lead — and pushing for 21-0 — before losing 44-20 at Louisville.
“You have to have a short memory,” said FSU receiver Kez McCorvey, who won a national title in 1993 and has spent the last few decades coaching high school football. “They listen to the outside noise. If they can focus on the task at hand — but the coaches have to find a way to connect to the purpose of the season.”
The purpose for FSU this season, now 3-3 at the midpoint, is likely more mental than physical.
Coach Mike Norvell has preached the importance of Florida State's "response to adversity" throughout his time on campus. It's a mindset that has been tested repeatedly, through a successful 2022 seasons and an ACC championship in 2023 as well as the last 2.5 seasons, where FSU is 10-20.
We have seen FSU’s response at times. SMU was one example, with the Mustangs seemingly always pulling ahead and the Seminoles chasing them down on the scoreboard before falling short on offense despite four takeaways for FSU. At Alabama, FSU traded punches with a heavyweight — not just in the SEC but one with a roster configured with roughly $10 million more — before the Crimson Tide’s run game and depth wore down FSU’s rush defense and lack of depth.
But 15 good minutes to start a game, off an offense script, is only a starting point. And 45 exceptional minutes against Virginia was very good on that particular day against a team that didn’t respond to the Seminoles’ frequent punches.
That’s what made the result in Louisville disturbing. In Muhammad Ali’s hometown, FSU didn’t counterpunch.
We would like to argue that Florida State could use its strengths — ground attack, mobile quarterback and effective specialists — to put some pressure on Miami. That perhaps a 23-point favorite at home on Saturday (7 p.m. on ESPN) will be overconfident in its talent advantage and the knowledge the Hurricanes have enjoyed five double-digit wins as well as a bye week.
There are not only doubts at Las Vegas sports books but across the Sunshine State as fans on both sides can admit Miami has an advantage at quarterback, offensive line and defensive line. Even one FSU strength — with play-making receivers like Duce Robinson and Micahi Danzy as well as Boggs — doesn't stack up as favorably to Miami playmakers Malachi Toney and Cooper Barkate.
So what now? The Seminoles will watch the film of Miami and see an absurd collection of talent, one that again was assembled with a significantly larger budget.
But beyond the lessons learned through watching game film and preparing on the practice field, maybe the best lesson for the Seminoles is to flush their own mistakes from the prior six games and be a goldfish.
McCorvey reflected about the need for coaches to make it simple. He recalled defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews asking players what was their thoughts on the game plan or scheme. For as tough as Andrews was as a coach, players need to “have an investment in the scheme,” McCorvey said.
Mark Salva, who played at FSU from 1984-87 and won a national title in 1993 as a graduate assistant, immediately mentioned the “be a goldfish” line on the Osceola’s postgame Seminole Sidelines after the loss to Louisville. He thinks the Seminoles need to gain confidence in the game plan, rep it in practices and through doing that will be in the right mindset on game days.
“They gotta have confidence in their ability to execute the plan,” Salva said. “You put in a few things that are a little different, but if you put too much, it's going to appear desperate. So you don't want to appear desperate. You're good enough to win if you execute at a high level.”
Salva was talking broadly about coaching philosophy and not necessarily the current Seminoles’ scheme or the matchup with Miami.
We may know how FSU-Miami will play out. It could be as straightforward as a massive advantage earned through high school and transfer portal recruiting, one that is secured before Feb. 1. And then it’s up to the coaches to develop cohesion and talent within the offensive and defensive schemes in the months ahead.
The wild card in all of this is not just how FSU looks at Miami but how it will impact Norvell’s future. A closer-than-expected win, which is subjective whether you’re an FSU stakeholder or FSU fan, could encourage you to be patient with Norvell and push forward into the bye week with preparations for Clemson on Oct. 31 as well as November games at Boston College, at Pittsburgh and then back home for NC State and Florida. A lopsided loss could encourage a coaching change and the Seminoles would seek to rally with an interim head coach.
It’s a rivalry game, no doubt. But also a game with far-reaching impacts.
Salva recalled one of his favorite coaching wins, in 1996 as he joined the South Carolina staff when Brad Scott left FSU to be the head coach. In week 2, the Gamecocks hosted Georgia. South Carolina had Anthony Wright at quarterback.
“He was the closest thing to Charlie Ward we could find,” Salva said. “And he was pretty damn close.”
South Carolina also had a star in the making at running back in Duce Staley, who went on to play in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“We ended up running the ball down their throat,” Salva said. “Offensive line played out of their minds that game, and the defense just flew around. Wally (Burnham, who had previously been FSU’s linebackers coach) had them creased up and flew around, and we got an early lead and we did and we did some we we did some things that they weren't expecting.”
South Carolina won 23-14 in Columbia, S.C. The defense forced four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumbles) to help the Gamecocks.
“We peaked at the right time,” Salva said. “We didn't play the game on Tuesday. We had a really good plan, and we sold the kids on the plan. We had confidence that they can execute the plan. We showed them. We're like, ‘Hey, you can match up with this guy. You can beat this guy. Now, if you let him do this, he'll bounce all day long. But if you do this, you'll win.’
“We just try to put them positions and give them confidence throughout the week as we structure practice, as we unveil the plan, sold them on the plan. Sold them that if they execute the plan, it's good.”
As FSU takes the field in Miami and then pushes forward into the second half of 2026, lessons in having a short memory and in taking confidence to the field each play should show up in how the Seminoles perform.
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