Florida State heads into Friday night’s trip to Louisville with the injury picture mostly settled, and the final ACC availability report brought a few important updates just before kickoff.
The Seminoles and Cardinals are set to meet at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, with both teams dealing with a long list of unavailable players. Florida State had already announced earlier in the week that RB Samuel Singleton Jr., WR Devin Carter, LB Blake Nichelson, LB Noah LaVallee, LB Izayia Williams, LB Daylen Green, DB Karson Hobbs, DB Jordan Crutchfield, DB Jamari Howard, and DB Zae Thomas would miss the game.
Louisville entered the night with its own issues, having already ruled out eight players, including starting defensive back Antonio Watts, who is out for the rest of the season because of injury. In all, the matchup now features 19 combined absences, with nine for Louisville and 10 for Florida State.
The final report didn’t change much for Florida State, but it did clear several names. Sophomore defensive lineman Darryll Desir is off the report and should be available, along with linebacker Mikai Gbayor, linebacker Karon Maycock, defensive back Antonio Cromartie Jr., and punter Daniel Hughes.
Louisville, meanwhile, did not get good news on star running back Keyjuan Brown. The Cardinals will be without their leading rusher against Florida State. On the positive side for Louisville, quarterback Lincoln Kienholz and offensive lineman Anwar O’neal are no longer listed and are expected to play.
In Other News...
Florida State Has A Chance To Make A Real ACC Statement Tonight
Florida State gets a timely chance to say something real about itself tonight, with Louisville coming in for an ACC matchup that should tell a lot about where both teams stand. The Seminoles are looking for a win that would clean up the picture around their record, and the game sets up as a good test of whether their offense can keep pace against a Cardinals team built to make noise.
Ashton Daniels is a key part of that equation for Florida State, especially against a Louisville defense that will be trying to force the Seminoles into mistakes. On the other side, Louisville brings an explosive offense and there are injury factors in play for both sides, which only adds to the volatility. The expectation is a close, high-scoring game, and for Florida State, the bigger question is whether this is the night it can turn a solid opportunity into a meaningful ACC statement. [Read more 🡒]
Florida States Pregame Lineup Shakeup Just Changed A Few Key Battles
Florida States trip to Louisville already had plenty of intrigue, and the pregame picture added a little more to it. The Seminoles will be in all-white at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, while Louisville goes with black, with Jon Noli serving as head referee and NFL scouts along with bowl representatives expected on hand for a game that carries real weight beyond the immediate matchup.
The bigger development for Florida State came with an updated depth chart that shuffled several positional battles and brought a few players back into the mix. Those changes matter because they hint at how the Seminoles want to line up for one of the seasons more closely watched tests, and they could shape both the rotation and the feel of the game from the opening series onward. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Faces A Dangerous ACC Test With Momentum On The Line
Florida State heads into Friday nights ACC trip to Louisville with its momentum suddenly under a tougher spotlight. The Seminoles, led by Mike Norvell, have built up some early-season traction, and now they get a road test at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium against a Louisville team coached by Jeff Brohm that will be eager to make life uncomfortable in conference play.
It is the kind of matchup that can tell you plenty about where Florida State really stands before the schedule gets any friendlier. Between the records, the recent results and the broadcast setup, this one has all the feel of a measuring-stick game, with the Seminoles trying to protect what they have built while Louisville tries to knock them off balance in front of its home crowd. [Read more 🡒]