Following Florida State’s 36-24 loss to Clemson on Saturday night at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., FSU head coach Mike Norvell expressed deep disappointment during his postgame press conference.

Norvell opened his comments by stating he was “extremely disappointed with the result” and that the Seminoles “absolutely” failed to meet their expectations or standards for performance required to win.

Norvell noted that despite high expectations entering the game, the team simply did not execute at the level necessary.

“Tonight, extremely disappointed with the result,” Norvell said. “The way we started the game, I felt coming into it the work that you saw the last couple of weeks, we had high expectations for how we would come out and play. We absolutely did not play to the standard of our expectations and what’s needed to win college football games.”

Dabo Swinney’s Tigers improved to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the ACC, while Norvell’s Seminoles slipped to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in conference play after suffering a third straight defeat.

“That is a team that has talented players,” Norvell said of Clemson. “Obviously, that was a game that we put a lot of emphasis on. Just disappointed to see this result and the way that we played, coming up short.”

Norvell lamented a 4-0 deficit in the turnover margin and poor field position that provided Clemson with short fields all night. He cited issues in all phases of the game and stressed that the overall performance was not “good enough.”

“We lost the turnover margin, four to nothing,” Norvell said. “We were extremely poor in field position and gave them short fields throughout the course of the night. I was proud of the fight the guys showed there in the fourth quarter, getting it to a one-score game. Unfortunately, it was just not enough. We did not get the stops when we needed.

“Obviously, we gave up things in all phases that we have to be better at. Extremely disappointed in the whole parts of it. We had some guys that got banged up tonight. There were some challenges that were created, but also some issues that magnified in certain areas. I thought our guys battled throughout, just didn’t play clean enough or good enough to win a college football game.”

Trailing 29-10 early in the fourth quarter, FSU responded with 14 straight points to cut Clemson’s lead to 29-24 with 5:30 remaining.

However, on a third-and-12 play, Tigers freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds broke through for a 79-yard rushing touchdown with 3:17 left to essentially seal the victory.

Reynolds broke a tackle and took off down the Clemson sideline with a final block from wide receiver T.J. Moore for the longest run by a quarterback in program history.

Addressing what contributed to the massive touchdown run that thwarted FSU’s rally, Norvell highlighted the inability to finish the pass rush and make an open-field tackle in a one-score game.

“We had a pass rush game that was working,” Norvell said. “It was match-underneath with coverage. So, guys were matching routes as we’re running with it. Obviously he got a seam, we didn’t get home with the pass rush and he got into the open field. We had an opportunity to try to get him down, but he ran through the tackle and that resulted in a big play.

“The receivers did a good job blocking down the field. That is a play that you can’t have. You get third-and-[12] and time to get off the field in a one-score game. That was the moment of truth. We’ve got to be able to stay on our feet and finish the pass rush. We have to make the open-field tackle when you get an opportunity, and we got to find a way to get him down and play another play.”

As for the visible empty seats at Doak Campbell Stadium, and the FSU fanbase that is growing increasingly upset amid the program’s struggles?

Norvell says he understands the frustration, and in order to fix the situation and win fans back over, the Noles have simply “got to win” and “that’s what it comes down to.”

“Yeah, you got to go out there, and you got to win. That’s what it comes down to,” he said. “I guess for the people that left, this team rallied, responded, and still believed in what they could do, and what they could accomplish, and put ourselves in a position. I am grateful for that. I understand the frustration.

“We have high expectations for what we want it to be, and you can show up every day, you pour what you have into it, and as I said, I believe in these players, and the choice that they made to come be a part of this program, and the work that we ask them to do.”