Florida State’s trip to Louisville comes with a simple test on both sides: can the Seminoles keep rolling, and can the Cardinals finally stop beating themselves?
FSU is heading into a conference game Friday night at 7:00 p.m. ET with a chance to string together wins and end a losing streak outside Tallahassee that has stretched beyond 1,000 days. Louisville, on the other hand, is trying to steady itself after back-to-back losses to Wake Forest and North Carolina State.
To get a clearer read on the Cardinals, NoleGameday spoke with WHAS11 News’ Matt McGavic, who laid out where Louisville has gone wrong, where it still has playmakers, and why the margin for error has disappeared.
McGavic said the biggest problem has been self-inflicted damage. Against Wake Forest, Louisville was buried by penalties, piling up 11 of them in key moments. The Cardinals had only five penalties against NC State, but that didn’t fix the larger issue, since Louisville still sits 118th and 130th in the FBS in penalties and penalty yards per game.
Turnovers have been just as costly. In the loss to NC State, Louisville put the ball on the ground five times, and three of those fumbles were recovered by the Wolfpack. Two came after halftime, including one in the fourth quarter after a long run that was set to put Louisville in the red zone.
There has also been a clear shift at quarterback. McGavic said Kienholz has exceeded expectations after taking over as a full-time starter.
He pointed to his growth over the first couple of games, saying Kienholz is now settled in and looks comfortable throwing from the pocket, which had been one of the main questions coming out of spring ball and fall camp. McGavic also praised him as a runner, noting his ability to extend plays, throw on the move, and make things happen with his legs.
The defense, though, has been the bigger mess. McGavic said Louisville is not playing complementary football because nearly every unit has fallen short of expectations.
The Cardinals have playmakers at defensive end, but their defensive tackles have struggled badly, and teams have had success running straight up the middle. The linebackers, once thought to be one of the stronger parts of the defense, have not helped shore things up, and the secondary has given up too many explosive passes.
Louisville is 131st nationally in 30-plus-yard plays allowed with 15.
McGavic also said part of the issue comes down to staff turnover and inexperience in new roles. Defensive line coach Mark Ivey and cornerbacks coach Steve Ellis have been with Brohm since day one at Louisville, but both are in their first defensive coordinator jobs at the Power 4 level. Linebackers coach Adam Mueller and safeties coach Brandon Sharp were promoted from quality control roles, and McGavic suggested too much may have been put on a staff with limited experience in those spots.
On offense, McGavic pointed to familiar names like running backs Isaac Brown and Keyjuan Brown, but said the more interesting player to watch is wide receiver Lawayne McCoy, a name Florida State fans already know. Tre Richardson is still the top receiver, but McCoy has become a strong complement and a real deep threat in the passing game.
Defensively, McGavic highlighted defensive end Clev Lubin and safety Kaleb Beasley. Lubin’s numbers haven’t fully popped yet, but McGavic said that is tied to the attention he draws from opposing offensive lines.
He described Lubin as relentless, flexible, and loaded with pass-rush moves. Beasley, meanwhile, has made plays as a high safety and was a major factor in Louisville’s win over SMU, when he picked off two passes.
For McGavic, the fix is pretty clear: Louisville has to stop sabotaging itself and clean up the defensive breakdowns that keep turning routine possessions into problems. He noted that even average production in penalties, turnovers, and explosive plays could have changed the picture, especially since Louisville’s three losses came by a field goal each time.
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Rancik eventually became one of the names that gave the class real traction after entering the transfer portal and landing at Florida State, where he is expected to play a meaningful role next season. For a program trying to reestablish itself quickly, adding a player with his size and skill was important, but the bigger story may be the willingness to cross borders and lean into personal relationships to get him in garnet and gold. [Read more 🡒]