Florida State’s loss to Miami got even tougher to swallow when Ousmane Kromah’s night ended with a foot and ankle injury, but the sophomore running back is heading into surgery with his spirits intact.
A video shared on social media before the procedure showed Kromah answering a quick check-in with trademark confidence. When asked how he was feeling, he said, “I’m wonderful. I’m ready to get this sh*t over with.”
Kromah was hurt on a run near Miami’s goal line in the second quarter of Saturday’s 43-35 double-overtime defeat. He attempted to hop back toward the Florida State sideline before going down again, and medical staff then put an air cast on his left leg before carting him off.
His mother later said the bones connecting his foot and ankle were fractured and dislocated, and that surgery would require plates and screws. CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that Kromah is expected to miss the rest of the season.
"The bones connecting the foot and ankle are dislocated and fractured. To fix them, the doctors have to perform surgery and use metal plates and screws to hold the broken bones together until they heal. The hardware is temporary and will be removed once the bones have healed."
The injury brings a strong sophomore season to an early close. Kromah led the Seminoles with 609 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 114 carries, while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He also added 11 catches for 97 yards, finishing with 706 yards from scrimmage through seven games.
His production had already cleared the 408 rushing yards he posted as a freshman in 12 games, and his tackle-breaking ability made him one of the most efficient runners in the country. After Florida State’s win over Virginia, ESPN’s David Hale reported that Kromah led the FBS with 41 forced missed tackles on 81 carries, including 15 against the Cavaliers.
Florida State now heads into a BYE week before its matchup with Clemson, and the Seminoles will have to finish the final five regular-season games without their top rusher.
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Florida States overtime loss to Miami left Mike Norvell visibly frustrated with how the final sequence unfolded, and he did not try to soften his reaction afterward. The Seminoles had a touchdown from Micahi Danzy wiped away by a holding call on left tackle Xavier Chaplin, a play that changed the entire feel of the extra period and kept the game hanging in the balance.
Duce Robinson then appeared to make the next big catch for Florida State, only for the pass to be ruled an interception after review and end the game. Norvell blasted the holding flag as an absolute joke and pushed back on the turnover ruling as well, a postgame flashpoint that added another layer of heat to an already bitter ending against Miami. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Still Has A Narrow Path To Save This Season
Florida State came out of the double-overtime loss to Miami still searching for traction, and the margin for error is getting thinner by the week. At 3-4 with five games left, the Seminoles do not have much room left to waste, but the schedule still leaves open a path to salvage a respectable finish if they can start putting together the kind of complete performance that has been elusive since conference play tightened up.
The remaining stretch is complicated by a few familiar concerns, including a recent injury to running back Ousmane Kromah and the fact that road games have not been kind. Even so, the way the next opponents have been trending, plus Florida State's past results in some of those matchups, keeps a 7-5 finish in play if the Seminoles can clean up the small mistakes that have been costing them close games. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Steen Can Finally Help Florida State Sooner Than Expected
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Now the question shifts from the courtroom to the hardwood, where Steen could make his first game appearance against LSU on Oct. 24. For Florida State, it is a notable boost to a frontcourt that has already had to deal with the uncertainty surrounding his status, and it gives the Seminoles a player they had been able to work with behind the scenes but not yet officially deploy in a game. [Read more 🡒]
