Florida State opened Friday night with a 14-0 lead, but Louisville responded with a rally that sent the Seminoles to a 44-20 loss. The result increased the pressure on embattled Florida State coach Mike Norvell.
Isaac Brown powered Louisville with a career best 235 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. His performance included touchdown runs of 97 and 68 yards as the Cardinals took control after falling behind early.
The Seminoles appeared to be in command after building their 14-0 advantage. That changed after Florida State wide receiver Jasen Lopez was stopped by Louisville defensive back Kaleb Beasley at the Cardinals 3 on fourth and goal.
Brown took the first play of Louisville’s ensuing second quarter drive 97 yards for a touchdown. The score provided a game changing response immediately after Florida State had missed an opportunity near the Louisville goal line.
“An extremely poor performance by us,” Norvell said after the loss. “We started the game well. We jumped up 14-0, but too many missed opportunities. … Too many times, we didn’t show the detail, the discipline, the mental toughness that’s necessary on the road. And it starts with me.”
The loss extended Florida State’s streak to 11 consecutive true road defeats. The Seminoles also have lost 13 straight games away from Doak Campbell Stadium, while a winning streak of two games ended abruptly.
“What we put out there, obviously, guys were not as prepared as they need to be,” Norvell said. “But we all need to take ownership of it. Coaches, players, everyone involved. There was plenty of opportunity.”
Louisville (3-3, 2-2 ACC) outgained Florida State 438-190 following the fourth down stop. The Cardinals finished the game with 537 total yards, including 397 on the ground, and scored all of their touchdowns through the rushing attack.
That rushing production came despite the absence of Keyjuan Brown, Louisville’s top rusher this season. He was sidelined with an injury, but Isaac Brown delivered the biggest performance of his career.
Isaac Brown also opened the second half with a 71 yard kickoff return to the Seminoles 28, with a horse-collar penalty added at the end. Four plays later, quarterback Lincoln Kienholz scored from 3 yards for the first of his two touchdowns, giving Louisville a 21-14 lead.
Brown added a touchdown run of 68 yards midway through the fourth quarter. That score completed his two touchdown night and accompanied his career best rushing total on only 17 carries.
“When you play a team that has explosive players, you have to do your job,” Norvell said. “At the end of the day, if you do that, you give yourself a chance. If you don’t, explosive plays and missed opportunities are going to show up. And that’s what we saw for three quarters.”
Florida State quarterback Ashton Daniels completed 21 of 37 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns. Daniels also ran for a score as the Seminoles finished with 362 yards of offense.
“I’m extremely disappointed for this team,” Norvell said. “Ultimately, it still comes down to work, and it comes down to owning the issues, correcting the issues, and then, going to be able to put it on display for three-and-a-half hours. And we did not do that.”
Florida State (3-3, 1-2) will play at No. 4 Miami next Saturday. Before turning attention toward that matchup, Norvell said the Seminoles must address what happened against Louisville.
“We have a huge game next week,” Norvell said. “A rivalry game against a very talented team. But we have to get tonight fixed. It was incredibly disappointing.”