Florida State’s road troubles only got worse Friday night, and this one unraveled in ugly fashion. Louisville rolled to a 44-20 win, handing the Seminoles their 11th straight loss away from Tallahassee and dropping Mike Norvell to 41-37 overall and 23-28 in ACC play during his Florida State tenure.
The night opened with promise for FSU. The Seminoles came out sharp in the first quarter and built an early lead, only to see the game flip hard in Louisville’s favor. From there, the Cardinals piled up 35 unanswered points while Florida State fell apart on both sides of the ball.
The defense took the biggest hit. Florida State gave up three touchdown runs of 40 yards or more - 97, 44 and 68 - and Louisville finished with 537 total yards. Once the Cardinals found space, they kept finding more.
A turning point came with Florida State at Louisville’s one-yard line and a chance to make it 21-0. Instead, the Seminoles came away empty after a failed wide receiver screen to Jasen Lopez lost two yards.
Louisville immediately answered with a 97-yard run, and the momentum swung for good. Florida State followed with a three-and-out, the first of five straight punts, and the Cardinals seized control.
Louisville had already tied the game before halftime, then opened the third quarter with a 71-yard kickoff return and grabbed the lead for the first time. From there, the Cardinals never let go, turning what had looked like a dangerous home spot into a runaway win.
Florida State finally found the end zone again in the fourth quarter, ending its scoreless stretch, but the Seminoles missed the two-point try. Any thought of a comeback disappeared on the next Louisville drive, when Isaac Brown broke free for a 68-yard touchdown run.
Now Florida State heads back on the road again, this time to face Miami.
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Ousmane Kromah was one of the brighter spots, giving Florida State production as both a runner and receiver, but too many other pieces did not match that level. Duce Robinson and Ashton Daniels both struggled to find rhythm, and Tony Whites defense did not do enough to hold the line once Louisville started pushing back, leaving the coaching staff squarely in the spotlight after a loss that felt as much about the sideline as it did about the scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]